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We all understand that sooner or later we will grow old, but we still resist the inevitable with all our might. Gerontologist Mark Williams debunks the myths associated with aging.
In our society, there is still a negative attitude towards aging, and various industries diligently support all sorts of myths about the horrors of old age. I propose to take a closer look at the destructive and often false beliefs that prevent us from treating age adequately.
Myth 1: All old people are the same and they literally fall apart.
As we age, we become more and more different from each other. Everyone ages differently. This is especially noticeable at alumni meetings: some classmates have hardly changed, while others are unrecognizable. We meet older people with burning eyes and weak muscles, or, on the contrary, with creaking joints and a sharp mind.
The human body changes under the influence of a complex of unique genetic characteristics, the environment and the decisions we make. These decisions can speed up or slow down physical changes. For example, smoking accelerates the aging of the lungs, heart, blood vessels and increases the risk of cancer.
Today, we don’t just age longer, we age better. We don’t fall apart anymore. Long-term studies in the US, Sweden and other countries have shown that the health status of older people is improving: a 75-year-old person in 1990 is the biological analogue of a 65-year-old person in 1960.
Myth 2: As we age, we become more forgetful and fall into insanity.
We all worry about memory, and as time goes on, this concern gets worse. We believe in the myth that the old person becomes more and more forgetful and falls into childhood. In addition, modern society does not forgive mistakes, and we become infected with this social intolerance. If we forget where we put the keys, then we immediately think: “Is this really Alzheimer’s?”
I believe that we attract what we fear. And our fears upset us so much that we again forget something: “I don’t remember why I came here?” This is a vicious circle.
A little forgetfulness is normal, but severe memory problems are indicative of illness, not aging. More than half of people over 85 have normal cognitive function. And for the rest, problems with memory and perception are caused by various diseases, and not by aging as such.
Myth 3: Learning ability and creativity decrease with age
This harmful myth is connected with the previous one. I will explain using the example of one of my patients, who is 103 years old. He worked in the Foreign Office and is currently writing a book on international diplomatic relations. He has been working on the book for five years, two hours a day, in the morning. He types himself on a Smith Corona portable typewriter.
Has age affected his ability to learn and creativity? If yes, then I didn’t notice it. He is no different from other people, except perhaps for his age and love for writing.
To think that as people get older is less accepting of new things and losing creativity is wrong, pessimistic and potentially dangerous. Creative and active projects are essential for proper aging and longevity.
Creativity is the active part of the imagination. It involves action, participation and the use of abilities. None of these components are lost during normal aging. The elements of creativity change throughout life, but these changes enrich rather than depress creativity.
The ability to learn in old age depends on interests, activity, motivation and health. It is important to develop curiosity at a young age, and then maintain it, acquire new interests. Sometimes this is not easy due to the lack of adequate education and other resources, but age certainly has nothing to do with it.