Dear Editor,
Thank you for the delightful article by Milla Ling-Davies in the November issue of en. Her comments on the value of older people and the nonsense of judging people on how they look are heart-warming, as is the declaration of the Paris Fashion week 2023 that ‘ageing is now cool.’ But only if you are beautiful, it seems. Because ageism is based on more than how a person looks: it’s based on a ‘declinist’ view that perpetuates a whole raft of myths about older people.
In 2016, Vogue magazine celebrated its 100th anniversary with a cover photograph of 100-year-old Bo Gilbert. She was photographed for her very first campaign shoot wearing bespoke Valentino glasses, a Dries Van Noten coat, a Victoria Beckham top, a Lanvin necklace and trousers by The Row. Someone commented on its website that Bo typified how beauty comes from the inside, and another retorted that was nothing to do with it, Bo was simply a beautiful woman. And so she was, but her beauty would not have deflected negative ageist thoughts in itself – the animus would still be present in those who held it.
Among them is the belief that older people can’t learn new things (can’t teach an old dog new tricks), that they are grumpy and judgmental, that illness and depression are inevitable, that they have poorer cognition (the ability to think), and their brains are now declining. In fact, many studies show that neurogenesis, that is the growth of new neurons, happens in older brains as well as younger. Also, poor health is not inevitable. Dementia is not a given part of old age – most don’t develop it; and people who exercise and stay physically and mentally fit live fulfilling, productive lives.
How we see old age is hugely important. Dr Becca Levy, the world-leading Yale professor and pioneer in the field of ageing, has published studies showing that just changing your beliefs about ageing can add years to your life. She describes how many aspects of ageing that we consider to be inevitable, such as memory loss, poor hearing, cardiovascular events, are in fact influenced by our own negative biases, often informed by cultural ageism.
Ageist attitudes at work is the reason many 50 to 60-year-olds took retirement during the pandemic, leaving companies understaffed and the economy suffering. The same thing happened in America. In New York educators introduced pilot educational courses in high schools to change negative attitudes of teenagers in schools. The teenagers are being helped to make connections between the discrimination they receive – such as not being treated seriously at work, and that experienced by older people. NYCAging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez said that the goal of the programme is to bring ‘the two bookends of our city, the youth and older adults together … in conversation’. She said ageism is an ‘insidious form of discrimination’. Announcing the scheme earlier this year, Eric Adams, the New York City Mayor, said that it would help the city’s youth recognise biases, ‘so they can dismantle what may be their own and other people’s ageist views’.
Psychologists say that many adults see older people as ‘other’, as not like themselves and not how they want to be. Old age reminds them of decay and death, and they fear a lack of control. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has found that, globally, ‘1 in 2 people are ageist against older people. When researching for my book, What’s Age Got To Do With It, I discovered that the WHO engages experts in many universities around the world to find ways of combating it.
Christians can see from the Scriptures how highly God regards older people. A ripe old age is regarded as one of the greatest blessings to be bestowed upon man. ‘I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation,’ is the promise in Psalm 91:16 (NLT). In Leviticus 19:32 He instructs, ‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God.’ He stamps it with His own imprimatur: ‘I am the LORD.’
God planned a balanced culture in society, one where the young have strength and enthusiasm, and the older wisdom and encouragement (Prov. 20:29).
Yours sincerely,
Louise Morse By email
