Don't you sound like a ray of sunshine

When you get old, you have to resist becoming a crusty, dogmatic old curmudgeon. Listen to the whippersnappers and consider what they're saying. You'll probably accept some of it and reject the rest. At least you won't look like a close-minded dotard.

What is your position in relation to the 5 managers? If you are subordinate to them, YDI, if your position is above them, FML.

That sucks, OP, and I totally get it - you have literal decades of experience, and hearing these wet-behind-the-ears younger people have ideas different than yours probably feels maddening, as if they don’t respect your own experience and knowledge. At the same time, though, there’s always different approaches to tackling a problem or project, and it is helpful to have different brains put forth different ideas that either side may never have thought of. And I know you’re really not going to like this, but the world is changing. So their perspectives may take into account factors that you may not consider. Sometimes their ideas may be better, and sometimes yours will be. So it’s important to have an open-minded approach, if nothing but for the sake of a healthy work environment. But I do know it’s ******* HARD to change the way you’ve been doing things or approaching things forever, so it’s got to be frustrating. It’s unfortunate the way this turned out - mediation with FIVE ******* other managers seems like an ambush and I’m sure you felt attacked. I think, though, that a mutually respectful communications approach between you and the coworker would be beneficial. Neither of you talks down to the other, and you both listen to each other’s ideas. And if you disagree on the coworker’s position on something, don’t get emotional about it. I actually wonder if that’s why they brought 5 managers to the mediation - it’s possible you’re bullish, aggressive, overbearing, etc., and this was the only way to get through to you. Obviously I don’t know you, and that may not be the case at all, but it still doesn’t hurt to try a little introspection and see if there’s any changes you can make in the way you interact with people to make work life more bearable for both of you. There’s no reason to be bitter and miserable - because you’ll really just be miserable. OPTION 2: Just say **** it and retire. OPTION 3: Apply somewhere else and statistically make way more money. The choice is yours!

Damn my comments are always so super long. TL;DR version (new comment because I can’t reply to my own): Option 1: Try some introspection, be more pleasant at work, and open to new ideas. If you accept the things you cannot change and pivot to work with your environment rather than against it, you’ll be happier. Option 2: Say **** it and retire early. Option 3: Take your wisdom to another company that embraces your superiority over the youngins. Good luck!

Without singling out OP I would say that every office has one of 'those guys', you know the older guy who is nearing retirement and can't be bothered to learn the 'new fangled stuff'. The one who makes his co-workers submit his expense claims forms because he "doesn't do those new systems", or gets people to type stuff up for him because "doesn't do technology". Maybe it took a meeting with 5 managers because other people are sick of picking up your slack...

But what did the mediator say?

What keeps me up at night is, What things are normal now but in 50 years people will look back at us as and see us as monsters? If you want to stay woke that line is always moving...will you be a bigot if your grandkid wants to marry the AI that lives in a/their robot dog? I mean that AI self identifies as a non binary stream of consciousness and love is love...plus any damage is covered by AppleCare

Somehow I think the problem is less your age and more that you have to actually listen to people who outrank you. Like five managers. How did you even piss off that many at once?