Old People are Cool! It is a Scientific Fact!

Ageism is becoming more real to me as I get older. It is a form of prejudice. One aspect of ageism is the misconception that the older we get, the nastier we become. The BBC Science Focus Magazine addresses the falsehood in their article, “Do We Get More Bitter and Cynical As We Get Older?” which addresses the issue of old age and cynicism. The BBC article informs us, “A Swiss study of people over 80 years old noted their remarkable composure and nonchalance toward old age-a trait the researchers called ‘senior coolness.’”

 The Swiss study isn’t the only proof that old age causes cynicism. The BBC then recalls famous psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, who describes the last stage of the human life cycle. “If older people view their lives with disappointment and regret, he said, then despair will win, thus fueling bitterness. In contrast, older people who recognize they did the best they could and see their lives with acceptance and a sense of meaning then avoid bitterness and enjoy feelings of wisdom instead.”

 It isn’t old age, bodily aches and pains, or too much life experience that can make a person bitter and cynical. According to the BBC Science Focus, it is bad decisions in life that make or break us. Older people are more comfortable in their skin when they live a good life, making primarily good decisions. Bitterness and cynicism occur through poor choices, which begin to add up earlier in one’s life when we make bad decisions regularly.

 Yet again, avoiding bitterness is found in a relationship with God. Through Scripture, God’s Church, the movement of the Holy Spirit, prayer, and mission, God calls us to a life of good decision-making. God wants us to be happy rather than bitter and supportive of others, rather than cynical. Developing a deep faith in God and a lifestyle of spiritual integrity provides a meaningful life and keeps the bitterness away. So do everyone around you a favor, go to church and be cool again, rather than an old grump stereotype.