When you ask an older person, “what do you wish you had known when you were my age?” I think their answer is in large part determined by your framing and phrasing of the question.
Increasing specificity seems to help when people are prone to overly broad answers. “What major mistake were you making in your 30s that you stopped making by your 40s?” Changing the subject to a different person seems to help too. “What did [some other person] do really right? What is something they think of as a major personal triumph which is better explained by luck?” Framing questions broadly can give you broad answers, which can help when people are prone to oversimplified explanations. “What are some of the top 15 books that contributed to who you are today?”
When you ask an older person, “what do you wish you had known when you were my age?” I think their answer is in large part determined by your framing and phrasing of the question.
Increasing specificity seems to help when people are prone to overly broad answers. “What major mistake were you making in your 30s that you stopped making by your 40s?”
Changing the subject to a different person seems to help too. “What did [some other person] do really right? What is something they think of as a major personal triumph which is better explained by luck?”
Framing questions broadly can give you broad answers, which can help when people are prone to oversimplified explanations. “What are some of the top 15 books that contributed to who you are today?”