The Myth Of Ageism

The Myth Of Ageism

What do you think is one of the most devastating myths prevalent in our society today?

Certainly, false Christianity, racism, political correctness, sexism, etc., are harmful, but there is one myth in particular that is extremely detrimental. That myth is AGISM-prejudice and discrimination toward older people.

You know the stereotypes that seniors endure: senility, poor memory, impotence, childishness, stubbornness, fragility, and this is only a short list.

We all have our images, mostly wrong, of old age. One reason, that these distorted images are harmful, is that most of us will grow older, and unless we learn the truth of what occurs as we age, we will tend to live the limited lives that the elderly are believed destined to have. These ridiculous myths have to go while we are young or a miserable senior existence will await. We will feel one way internally, but probably adhere to the myth in behaviour.

According to the book "A GOOD AGE" the chief disability of old age is ageism itself; the physical changes are nothing in comparison to fighting the myth in our head.

However, if the prevailing ideas about old age are wrong, what is the truth in general?
To begin with, the truth is, OLD PEOPLE ARE JUST THAT: OLDER PEOPLE! If they have taken care of their bodies, there need not be a great increase in illness, although physically, there will be less strength.

Certainly experience is showing that seniors are not more mentally unstrung than younger people. As a matter of, there are fewer acute diseases among those over 65. A Duke University study has found that mental disorders are uncommon, nor is senility common, nor is it likely that an old person will become demented, because the human brain does not deteriorate or rot away with age.
Of course, disease will create disastrous effects, as it does in any age group.

Alzheimer’s disease is a disease of old age and is responsible for the belief that senility, memory-lost, etc. are the result of growing older, but that is a myth--it is a disease not a natural process of living.

I think that the basic reason for the myth surrounding old age, is that many people in society are becoming increasingly selfish and see senior citizens as a "drain" on governmental, and personal finances. The attitude of "let's put in a "nice" home where they will be better care for..." reveals this "out of sight, out of mind" desire.

Many are so selfish, they dream up impressive reasons for their refusal to become personally involved with parents, for example they may say, ”they need professional help because they are old. ( Thankfully every one doesn’t think this way, but generally of course.) Not everyone wants to get rid of their parents or grandparents.

There are some old people that are the stereo type of old age, just as there are 20- year-olds who fit that group stereotype.

PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE:THERE ARE YOUNG VIBRANT PEOPLE, THERE ARE OLD VIBRANT PEOPLE, THERE ARE SICKLY YOUNG PEOPLE, THERE ARE SICKLY OLD PEOPLE, ETC. ETC..

Thankfully, there is a revolt against the old age myth. Seniors are not allowing a selfish, increasingly heartless society to continue to treat them as old "infants" incapable of being mature, responsible people. Ageism must and will go; people who helped build their country, raised children and supported them and others, will again take control of their lives, while showing selfish family members and government agencies, that myths are not indicative of a mature person or country.

Perhaps someday we will use the vast reservoir of experience and wisdom, that seniors possess, to our advantage, as God did when he chose Noah, Abraham and Moses, to do a great work which, I doubt, a younger man could have accomplished as successfully.