[onecommentman]

I smile when you consider a whippersnapper at 50 to be old.

“No nonsense” is just a communication style and you should appreciate he isn’t wasting your time. He isn’t dating you.

Condescending is another matter. I’d get a calibration from others to see whether they think he actually is condescending, or whether you are projecting. If you’re in your 30s and haven’t just gotten out of your parents’ basement, it’s probably the former. Look for an opportunity to prove to him his attitude towards you is wrong, or maybe even turn the tables. Demonstrating extreme competence, especially on more current topics or areas outside of his expertise, would probably work. I would guess that if you give him the intellectual equivalent of a slap in the face, you will end up resetting him.

But who knows? Maybe after 20 more years of meetings, you’ll end up like him...