Enjoying vs. Finding Interest

I sometimes hear people say, "As you get older, there are fewer things to enjoy."

"Enjoyment" refers to a state of receiving pleasant emotions (such as fulfillment, joy, or excitement) from others. Furthermore, the definition of "enjoyment" likely involves being emotionally satisfied by receiving such experiences.

When someone at a party says, "Come on, let's all have fun!" it is based on the premise that everyone will entertain each other. A party where everyone is just fiddling with their smartphones is probably not something you can enjoy.

Listening to music or watching a movie is, if anything, a passive form of enjoyment. If you aren't satisfied with the content, you can't say you "enjoyed" it.

When we were children, our parents, teachers, and people in similar positions spent effort (time and money) to entertain us. That is why children (provided they are born into such an environment) can live happily every day.

However, there is no reason for anyone to do that for an old man.

If you wanted to entertain an old man, you would have to spend many times more effort (time and money) than you would for children, and even if you did, there is little chance of a future return. Furthermore, old men can be stubborn, so there is also the risk of stepping on landmines in unexpected places.

That is probably why there are fewer things to enjoy as you get older.
When that happens, an old man has no choice but to give up on being entertained and start finding things interesting instead.

"Finding things interesting" is the act of actively engaging with a subject, taking an interest in it, and proactively trying to discover unexpected aspects or changes in that thing. By using your own effort (time and money) to focus on that, you can take control of obtaining pleasant emotions for yourself.

Come on, let's give up on just being entertained and start finding things interesting.