“With age comes wisdom”, “as you age you get wiser”, and “I’m not older I’m wiser”. These are just a few quotes that I have heard throughout my twenty-four years of life by family members who are forty and older. Back then I never knew what they meant, but now I am starting to see that those quotes had more meaning than I thought. When you age you are said to have a sense of wisdom because of how long you have been on this earth. You have witnessed things that younger generations have only heard or read about. Some people view aging as a bad thing because of the medical issues that occur during that process. This medical issue changes a person outlook on ages because they see aging as a scary point in their life instead of viewing it as a memorable …show more content…
period. However, I can understand why some people fear old age because I also fear it as well. When I saw myself through the aging booth at the age of fifty-four it made me ask myself some questions.
One of those questions were did I reach the point of my career, and did I have the husband and kids that I have always wanted. Those question tie into the Multidisciplinary Theories of Meaning in Late Life. Right now I feel that my purpose in life is to help others and try to help the youth in the African-American community. As I age I would like to know that those goals were reached because I look forward to achieving those goals because of their importance. Advancing in my career field and having my husband and two children would make me feel like I just didn’t live my life for me, but to better my family. When you get older you look forward to certain aspects and advancement in a career and a family is just a few of those things. In the textbook it states: “A growing number of studies suggest that people who have found a sense of meaning in life tend to enjoy better physical health and tend to experience fewer symptoms of depression than individuals who have not been able to derive a sense that their lives have meaning” (Bengtson, Gans, Putney, & Silverstein, 2009). The questions that I asked myself about the aging booth would help me feel that I have a meaningful life. The Multidisciplinary Theories of Meaning in Late Life explains why I asked those questions and that’s because I wanted to make sure that my purpose in life was fulfill and that I had something and someone to live
for. Some people would ask how does one define a meaningful life. Well when someone feels that they have a purpose in life regardless of what that purpose is it gives them the meaning. According to Bengtson, Gans, Putney, & Silverstein (2009) there are four factors and those are: (a) having a clear set of values, (b) a sense of purpose, (c) goals for which to strive and (d) the ability to reconcile things that happened in the past. Such as myself, I have clear set of values, goals that I expect to achieve and that gives me a sense of purpose. Before an adult reaches late life this should already be established because it gives them the thought process of knowing that they have a meaningful life all because these steps have been completed. The more that someone thinks or knows that their life has a purpose it gives them the strength to go on and trying hard to reach these goals that they have set for themselves. Some older adults go through life feeling that because they have lost a role or can no longer complete that role that their life is meaningless. “Other socially constructed meaning of age are more significant such as the roles assigned to older people; in some cases it is the loss of roles accompanying physical decline which is significant in defining old age” (Mohanty, 2013). The text mentioned discusses roles and how ones physical state can change or decrease that role for an older adult. Some examples are the medical issue that might occur in that older adults life and how it can hinder their career role. Some older adults will feel that because they can no longer do their job that they serve no purpose in life. For example, lets say Jim a fifty-eight year old site manager at a construction company has had three heart attacks while on the job. After the third heart attack he is put on disability and cannot return to work because H&R are afraid that the job is the cause of it and the next one might be fatal. Jim had worked at the construction site for twenty years now and had moved up from part-time office manager to site supervisor. The sudden stop from work might make Jim feel that he is worthless and he might not know where to utilize his time at now. Matz-Costa et al. (2014) stated some roles appear to provide not only individual, but social benefits. Productive aging proponents, for example emphasize continued involvement in roles that produce goods or services paid or not. Jim role at work provided him with the ability to provide services and without that job anymore he has no role career wise. There are many people like Jim in the real world who feel that sometimes
world tends to let the decrepit fade out of existence. It is also about the stereotypical sense of older means wiser, which is
Younger people have tended to look towards the elderly for wisdom and guidance since the beginning of recorded history and beyond. Students to teachers, children to parents, ordinary people to royalty and politicians – generally those who have lived longer are not only believed, but expected to have garnered more knowledge in their longer lives. Abraham Lincoln once said, “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. Also, in 2008 the Australian newspaper published an article detailing a study undertaken by the University of Aarhus in Denmark, which disproved the theory that the mind is at its peak in the late teens to mid-twenties. But all this is not to say that older people should not sometimes listen to and heed advice from younger people.
Aging is inevitable. The process looks different on all of us and is dependent upon certain factors including; how well we take care of our health regarding exercise, diet, and the support we get from others. In society aging has a negative connotation because we are led to believe we are less likely to be able to be independent, self-sufficient, and have less social support. Pixar’s UP is a great movie that exemplifies the aging process and two key concepts; ageism and chronological age vs. functional age as it relates to societal beliefs, pressures, and effects.
Everyone will grow old, as the aging process of the human body is inevitable. However, each day in our life can bring on new adventures, new friends, and knowledge of the world a round us. Yet, many people have negative views towards those who are considered older adults and thus, have a negative belief on the aging process as a whole. Throughout the quarter, COMM 119 has taught us why there is this negative stigma around the aging process and specially, on older adults as a group. This paper will address my stereotypical views of the aging process before COMM 119, the effect of improperly discussing death and dying, as well as what it means to be a successful ager. Understanding these topics have helped me realize that my viewpoints of elder
I can tell you this, as I am quickly approaching my 70th year, like everything else in life, getting older is exactly what we tell ourselves it is, no more and no less. If we buy into the cultural stereotype of aging, then it probably means all of the above and we will march right to the rocking chair of life, and promptly fall asleep.
All the experiences and obstacles that have been conquered and dealt with are done with. As an older individual, wisdom is an underlying character trait and becoming a resource of guidance.
Samuel Clemens once said, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” This quote obviously has something to do with age. My interpretation of this quote is that if one does not focus on his age and beauty, then everything will run smoothly in life. It also says that aging pertains to everyone and no one can escape it. If one does not think of aging, then life would be so much healthier and happier. Mark Twain said this because it pertains to everybody in the common issue of aging. This quote is still pertinent in today’s society because a lot of people think of aging as either a good or a bad thing and it helps people to understand that aging and the outcome of the wrinkly physical appearance is common with those of their own peers.
In conclusion, there are several benefits to thinking about ageing as a lifelong process, and not just as something which affects older people. Combating ageism at any age, celebrating the diversity amongst our ageing population, and the importance of having a healthier lifestyle in the present to prepare our bodies for the challenges posed by ageing are all valid strengths to this reasoning. It is also important to be able to relate these benefits in terms to your own experiences as this knowledge gives you a greater empathy with
Existentialism is a phiosophy which revolves around the central belief that we create ourselves. External factors are not important. It is the way that we let external factors affect us that determines who we are. As individuals we all have the freedom to choose our own path and that is what life is all about. Along with the freedom of choice comes the responsibilty of one's actions which can make some people anxious but give others meaning to their lives. To overcome this anxiousness and accept responsibilty is to meet the challenges of life and to truly live it. I can adopt the existentialist approach which states that to live life is to experience happiness and absurdness and to appreciate both as a part of life.
Aging and being old was dominated by negative characteristics and conditions such as illness, depression, and isolation for a long time (Eibach, Mock, & Courtney, 2010). At first glance the terms “success” and “aging” seem to be in conflict to each other. When asking people about aging, their answers have many facets that are also found in psychological definitions: successful aging is seen as health, maturity and personal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generativity, coping, and acceptance of age-related limitations. In the psychological sense successful aging is also often seen as the absence of age-associated characteristics (Strawbridge, Wallhagen, & Cohen, 2002). It seems that successful aging means is not aging.
Henry David Thoreau said in his argument that “age is no better, hardly so well qualified for an instructor”. Many argue the validity of taking advice from our elders, Thoreau believes that there is no sense in accepting the words of our seniors due to their lack of experience in todays day in age, as well as their familiarity with the social, technological, and moral norms of past years, but not of today. It can be countered that our elders could have experienced similar situations in the situations of love, loss, life, and death, and may even have relevant and helpful advice. It can be compromised that if people would willingly listen to the ideas of elders, it could be their decision on whether or not to accept or disregard the advice.
In BJ Millers TedTalk, “What Really Matters at the End of Life?” BJ Miller discusses on how we think on death and honor life. He speaks to the audience about how for the most people the scariest thing about death is not death itself, it is actually dying or suffering. The targeted audience is everyone in the world, because eventually everyone is going to die and everyone thinks about death. BJ 3 has big points in the article saying, Distinction between necessary and unnecessary suffering. Also by having a little ritual that helps with this shift in perspective. Another point is to lift and set our sights on well-being. We need to lift our sights, to set our sights on well-being, so that life and health and healthcare can become about making life more wonderful, rather than just less horrible.
People want to believe they will never grow old. I think the solution to getting the elderly to open up communication for broader human understanding to the stages of life is society understanding the terms first. For example, I ask my husband if he knew anyone over the age of 55. He did not know it was for a interview until later on in the conversation. He said yes, I know this person and that person. Then, when I ask him to call them he said sure no problem. However, when he ask what do you want. I replied with, “I want to ask them how they feel about meeting milestone. You know get old!..... Lol, my husband hung up the phone and said you can’t not ask my friends that. Of course I laughed, think sure I can. He face red when I told I need to interview one. He said no Sarah, that is not right. They are not old. Uses my parent they are old. So, this week was a
What is the meaning of life. The meaning of our lives, the purpose, and the dreams both dashed and realized, and the expectations forced upon us by others. In other words how do you "translate" what life is? "Translation" means to explain in simple terms. What is it supposed to be about? There are different answers for different people at different times in their lives. A person's lifetime is filled with self-examination. Why am I here? What am I doing? Is this as good as it gets? You have a beginning. You're in the middle, and your story hasn't ended yet.
“You don’t have to talk to us old people a certain way, because we’re the same as everyone else.” I believe as a society we have a way of discrediting the elderly, or treating them in a lesser way because of their age. It’s important to continue to give senior citizens the respect they deserve. That does not mean to ignore the issues that are unique to the group, but we must not allow it to cloud our view and influence our actions towards the group.