On Aging -OR- Getting Better with Age?

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How old is “old?”

I don’t know exactly, but after my recent birthday I can say that it’s much older than that. My son told me, “Dad, I’ve always thought of people who are over 50 as being really old.

But - I don’t think of you as really old, so guess I will need to redefine what is old.

So - How old is “old?”

Ageing
Older Adults
Gerontology
Dr. David E. M
63 months ago

2 answers

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Old is defined potentially many ways:

  1. No longer energetic, functioning or working well or with many defects
  2. Been around a long time, not specifying level of functionality
  3. Not updated; no longer useful

I tend not to tell people they are old, of course, as it connotes any or all of the above definitions, none of which people are likely to appreciate. If you care for the "geriatric" population, then there are the "young old", usually < 75 years of age, and the "older old" 75-85, then the "old old" > 85. LOL!

Sam Grief
63 months ago
Interesting; thanks - Dr. David E. 63 months ago
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Consumer Reports on Health

A recent article in Consumer Reports on Health found there are some things that actually get better with age:

1. You get wiser.

This one seems intuitively obvious to me, but as I once heard a researcher say, “If you can’t measure something, it doesn’t exist.”

Research conducted by the Universities of Texas and Michigan found that significantly more older people ranked in the top 20% in wisdom performance and the group with an average age of 65 consistently outperformed younger participants. Maybe there’s some truth to the joke about parents seeming to get smarter as their kids get older.

2. You have fewer difficult emotions.

A Gallup survey found that people in their 70’s and 80’s reported less stress, worry, and anger than younger respondents. I found it curious that stress peaks at age 25 and steadily declines, dropping rapidly from age 60 to 73. I guess that leaves me something to look forward to in a couple of decades..

3. You become happier.

This was a surprise, especially given my projection that increasing aches and pains probably increase unhappiness. Again, the devil is in the definition of “happiness”.

I suggest that we often equate happiness with well-being, which can be broken into three segments: physical, emotional, and financial. Stanford University found that aging is actually associated with increased emotional well-being. The article didn’t mention physical and financial well-being. Based on my experience, I expect that physical well-being decreases with age and financial well-being is dependent upon a complex host of variables.

4. Your marriage gets better.

The Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that older couples experience greater satisfaction and positive experiences with each other. The report also says happily married older people have better health, quality of life, and relationships with their children and friends. I think that is another one of those intuitively obvious facts that researchers still feel they must validate.

5. Your relationships get deeper and richer.

While younger people have more friends, the quality of older people’s relationships becomes richer. A study done by Case Western Reserve University found that volunteering was the most consistent predictor of cognitive well-being in people over age 72.

Any thoughts?

Dr. David E. M
63 months ago
Thank you Dr. Marcinko. It is reassuring to read that older folk accrue certain benefits with age. The above information may all have in common the concept of "sharing" or "communicating". Perhaps as we age, we improve our personal ability in communicating what we want, when we want it, and are more direct with our desires/preferences. Funny,I have always preferred people who know what they want.. - Sam 63 months ago
Agreed; well said - Dr. David E. 63 months ago

Have some input?