To be annoyed at work colleague who talks incessantly about being old..

[scaryclown]

I'm working with a Co worker who is doing my head in. He keeps talking about being old, about how it's too late to expect to achieve anything, about how all the younger people in the team are bright and entrepreneurial (they definitely are not) and wanted me to agree with him that my teeth were getting loose (they aren't) how can I handle this without telling him to fuck off.. He doesn't get the subject- changing, diversion tactics I use..I find it really odd and depressing to divide the team up by age and it's hard to join in an 'everything is shit' conversation.. Help!

I'd go with the 'fuck off' option.

If he's making comments about your teeth then he's getting personal and he's crossed a line.

Just say you don't agree with his outlook and repeat as necessary.

Apart from avoiding him, I have no advice. I do hate people like this tho xx

Or use ye olde "I could agree with you, but then we'd both be wrong"

So you’re in a similar bracket (in his mind)?

Could you do a calm and assertive response: “you often talk about your / our / colleagues’ ages: when you do, I feel uncomfortable, please stop doing it”.

The teeth thing was about you?! How rude!

Actually I have to admit I think he is a bit of a game player as I said I was tired the other day and he did this big speech about how I should just get on with it.. For the benefit of the boss I think.. And he also did this 'so when in the day do you start drinking then' and 'do you drink a lot then' with another story about how much he thought another worker drank 'everynight'.. Why are people so odd at work?

I know the feeling. I have a friend who always says stuff like 'we have to accept that we're no longer young'. He started saying this shit when he was about 29. To be fair he went bald at 21 so maybe for him, it's true. I always say 'speak for yourself, mate'. I think people age at different rate though. My friend is a heavy smoker and he probably feels old in his body. I don't.