#Successful Aging

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Aging

The philosophy of aging explores the nature, significance, and experience of growing older. It encompasses various dimensions including biological, psychological, social, and existential perspectives. Philosophers, ethicists, and scholars examine the meaning of aging, the value of elderly life, and the societal attitudes towards aging and the elderly. Here’s a comprehensive look at the key concepts and ideas in the philosophy of aging:

1. The Nature of Aging

Biological Aging: This involves the physical changes that occur as organisms grow older, such as the gradual decline in physical and cognitive abilities. Philosophical inquiry into biological aging considers questions about the naturalness and inevitability of physical decline.

Psychological Aging: This dimension examines the mental and emotional aspects of aging. It includes the development of wisdom, changes in identity, and the impact of aging on mental health.

2. The Experience of Aging

Subjective Experience: Philosophers explore what it feels like to grow older. This includes the changing perceptions of time, the accumulation of life experiences, and the emotional and psychological adjustments to aging.

Cultural Narratives: Different cultures have varied narratives and attitudes about aging. The philosophy of aging looks at how these narratives shape individuals’ experiences of growing older and how they influence societal treatment of the elderly.

3. The Value of Elderly Life

Wisdom and Knowledge: Aging is often associated with the accumulation of wisdom and knowledge. Philosophical discussions may focus on the unique contributions that older adults can make to society based on their life experiences and understanding.

Respect and Dignity: The ethical treatment of the elderly is a crucial aspect. Philosophers argue for the respect and dignity of older individuals, challenging ageism and advocating for their rights and wellbeing.

4. Ethical and Social Considerations

Intergenerational Justice: This involves the ethical considerations of resource distribution between generations. Philosophical debates may focus on the obligations of society towards the elderly, including healthcare, social support, and opportunities for meaningful engagement.

End-of-Life Issues: The philosophy of aging also addresses ethical issues related to end-of-life care, euthanasia, and the right to die. These discussions consider the autonomy, dignity, and quality of life of elderly individuals.

5. Existential Perspectives

Meaning and Purpose: Aging brings forth questions about the meaning and purpose of life. Philosophers explore how individuals can find fulfillment and meaning in their later years, despite physical and social challenges.

Acceptance of Mortality: Aging is intimately connected with the awareness of mortality. Philosophical inquiry into aging often includes reflections on how individuals come to terms with their mortality and the implications for how they live their lives.

6. Positive Aging

Active Aging: This concept promotes the idea of staying active and engaged throughout the aging process. It encourages physical activity, social involvement, and continuous learning as means to enhance the quality of life in old age.

Successful Aging: Philosophers and gerontologists explore what it means to age successfully. This includes maintaining physical health, mental well-being, and a sense of purpose and satisfaction in life.

The philosophy of aging provides a multifaceted exploration of what it means to grow older. It challenges societal stereotypes about aging, highlights the value of elderly life, and addresses ethical considerations surrounding the treatment of older individuals. By examining the biological, psychological, social, and existential dimensions of aging, this field offers valuable insights into how we can live fulfilling and dignified lives as we age.

[vidpoker11]

AI-powered analysis accurately reflects risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease based on brain age

The human brain holds many clues about a person’s long-term health — in fact, research shows that a person’s brain age is a more useful and accurate predictor of health risks and future disease than their birth date. Now, a new artificial intelligence (AI) model that analyzes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans developed by USC researchers could be used to accurately capture cognitive…

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/tortoise-and-the-hare-revisted/

Tortoise And The Hare Revisted

I’m going to tell a story with a moral.  An old man once traveled to Saudi Arabia to plead for oil from the reigning prince.  The prince, a man of middle years, enjoyed wielding power, and so he took delight in waving the old man away, certain he had humiliated his visitor. As the gates of the palace closed behind him, the old man was humbled. His people needed oil. What was he to do? Returned to his homeland, an idea struck him. He had oil, thousands and thousands of barrels saved for an emergency.  “This is an emergency,” he said aloud in his empty office.  The resolve in his voice convinced him what he’d deduced was true.  The next day, he began to sell his reserves on the world market.  This sudden surplus forced prices to fall.  In his faraway kingdom, the prince panicked.  When the value of oil dropped below $100 a barrel, he sold much of his holdings rather than suffer more loss. The glut dropped prices further.  When oil fell to $70 a barrel, the old man bought as much as he could.  Soon, he’d replenished his reserves at an enormous savings.  Some of the profits he used to subsidize the price of gasoline, a decision which made his people happy.  The story is true, as you may have guessed.  In 2023, experts thought Joe Biden was mad to challenge the Saudis. But he wasn’t mad or a doddering old man.  He was a wily coyote, wise enough to spook a prince and make history. The moral of the story is simple. Those who dismiss the power of experience are fools.     The young are inclined to make the prince’s mistake.  They equate old with being “out of touch.” The rest of us must forgive them, of course.  The young have never been old.  It’s natural for them to spend their days focusing on the cosmetics of things. Heroes must be vigorous enough to leap tall buildings in a single bound. A man who walks stiffly in his years or speaks with a stutter must be behind the times.      The myths about aging are countless. That the brain’s function declines over the years is one of them. Wrong! The brain is plastic.  It changes. It may lose some abilities but it gains others.  Think of the infant who babbles in its crib until it learns the sounds it mimics have meaning.  Experience informs our understanding. Neurologically speaking, wisdom is the ability to see patterns where others don’t see them…and to make predictions about what is likely to happen next. Oldsters aren’t fast….but they are better… at seeing the big picture.  (Successful Aging, by Daniel  J. Levitin, Random House Large Print, 2020, pg. 58) I admit my brain works slower at 87 than it did when I was 20. Nonetheless, I say to my peers who worry about poor recall, think of memories as books in a library. The greater the inventory, the longer it takes to run through the card catalog.  Be patient with yourselves. Remember, too, that speed is a measure of nothing unless a person wants to participate in a hot dog-eating contest.  Aesop’s fable about the tortoise and the hare contains a potent lesson for those who are attentive.    Old age has many blessings, by the way.  I haven’t fretted about pimples for decades. Snarky jibes on TikTok weigh less than dandruff to me.  As for the frenzy to find a mate and raise children, most of us facing the downhill of life no longer see those obligations in our rearview mirror. Ahead, lie years of play with grandchildren.  How much better to sit down with them to an imaginary tea than be obliged to change diapers?    The young may accuse me of lying, but the old are happier than those with their whole lives ahead of them.  Studies have confirmed that even without cleavage or a full head of hair, the old, having achieved emotional stability, enjoy what’s known as the La Dolce Vita effect.   We are happiest at 82 Older adults are more content with what they have, more self-contained, and laid back… Mood disorders, anxiety, and behavior problems decrease… (Successful Aging, by Daniel  J. Levitin, Random House Large Print, 2020, pg. 33.) I am well past  82 and consider that number to be conservative concerning happiness.  Caveats exist, of course.  Successful aging requires good health and a continuing curiosity. I began my writing career in my 60s.  Some of my peers have become remarkable watercolorists in their later years.  Best of all, we old have the leisure to help others, a connection that makes people happy at any age.  Thank heavens for plastic brains!  Which brings me back to Biden.  I plan to vote for him along with millions of old folks in the upcoming election.  Those who complain about his slow walk, thinning hair, and words interrupted by pauses would do better to stop thinking like teenagers.  Vladimir Putin doesn’t give a fig about Biden’s slow gait. What he fears is Biden’s wisdom. When I think about age, I think of the poet, Helen Keller.  Mute, deaf, and blind since birth, she lived a full life and died at 87.  The secret to her success might have been this. She decided to never count the years.

[8pxl]

14 yrs ago i started playing magic the gathering as a kid, and i had the dream to do art for them

3 yrs ago i tweeted about those dreams:

today i’ve released 11 official magic the gathering cards, and it’s honestly so surreal and insane to me! i did that!! i fulfilled a childhood dream, and i honestly couldn’t be more proud 🥹

[dhyzenmedia]

Embracing Successful Aging

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”3971″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The Role of Talk Therapy in Cognitive Health Successful aging is a multifaceted concept that extends beyond mere longevity. It involves achieving a high quality of life by actively managing physical, cognitive, and social well-being. While the avoidance of disease and…

[vaguely-concerned]

the fact that iron bull opens his recruitment conversation with pretending he doesn't quite remember the name of the the inquisition's ambassador. Jose-what's-her-name-again. he's just a big dumb jock no thoughts head empty mercenary who likes fighting and drinking don't worry about lil old me inquisitor! I'll hit things for you if you'd like as long as you pay me! ],) and then right after he reveals he's a spy he drops that he knows not only the name of your spymaster and how she operates but also her haircolour. (but like in a safely bro-y way tho! make that fighting and drinking and fucking! I'll be useful to you but in a real meathead non-threatening kind of way I'll be too busy bedding chantry sisters to do any real harm ],) continue to not worry about lil old me inquisitor!)

god bull you're so multidimensionally and fine-tunedly full of shit I love you so much fhdksah

[itseghost]

they are talking shit (or flirting?)

[thecalloftheland]

Keys for Adept Aging: a rejuvenated treasure

As of February 2023 I’m pleased to announce publication of Keys for Adept Aging. This compact volume—a true Soul*Spark—is an ideal gift for elders, as well as for all who are growing older. Throughout history most successful and long-lived civilizations have held a place of respect for elders, and have benefited from their life wisdom. Sages are elders who have gracefully accepted the passage of…

[countryshadelemonade]

[milktea-grn]

everything eats and is eaten (time is fed)

[oldbutchdaniel]

interview with the vampire, "and that's the end of it. there's nothing else." // succession, "all the bells say"

[klauswalz]

How did you escape? Was it exciting? Did you shank someone?

[vidpoker11]

Fitness with no age limit ...

For nearly 20 years, Stephen Ball has been a man on a mission: helping older Missourians stay healthy and get stronger through physical activity. In 2005, the professor in the University of Missouri College of Health Sciences helped created a program called Stay Strong Stay Healthy (SSSH). Since then, the eight-week strength training program has helped more than 20,000 older adults across five…

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/happy-90th-gloria/

Happy 90th Gloria!

A writer near my age admitted on Facebook that though she loved the feel of paper between her fingers and the smell of a new book, she’d shifted to an e-reader. No longer comfortable with small print, she needed an electronic device to adjust for size.    Much in life is a tradeoff.  The earth has a polar wobble, which is natural, but growing more pronounced because humans are pulling quantities of water from the aquifer. Global construction is at an all-time high. That makes sand, a key ingredient in cement, a valuable commodity. The scarcer it becomes, the more illegal mining grows.  Today,  quarrying sand is a $200 billion to $300 billion industry, making it more valuable than gold, logging, and fishing combined. Developments in technology may ameliorate some of these challenges. Reading devices that adjust print size is an example.  Sometimes, though, the remedy poses new problems. Think of all those passwords we need to maintain our internet accounts.     A woman In my late 80s, I’d like to see the world slow down. Is there technology for that?  In his book, Successful Aging, Daniel J. Levitin warns that clinging to the past isn’t good for human health.  Old folks should keep looking forward. That’s easy for him to say.  He’s not at the end of the line trying to keep up. On the plus side, Levitin writes that old folks have an edge over the young. Wisdom enables them to make good decisions. They’ve lived long enough to discern patterns in nature and human behavior.  A newborn may cry, terrified by its first glimpse of the sun, but adults head for the beach hoping for enough sand to throw down a towel.   Lacking experience, young people’s judgments are prone to err. Many, for example, criticize Joe Biden’s slow response to the tragedy unfolding in Gaza.  As the head of a powerful country, they presume he has levers to pull to affect change. Yet not since Teddy Roosevelt’s interventions in Latin America during the 1900s has an American President imagined he could interfere with another nation’s sovereignty and escape paying a political price–the incursions being short-lived or ending in failure. The heady era of being a dominant player among weaker countries is history. Today, democratic nations exercise diplomacy rather than brute force.  Biden has an edge on that score.  He knows the world players, the genesis of foreign quarrels, and the cards each country’s leader is likely to hold.  True, he hasn’t sold Benjamin Netanyahu on a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. But Netanyahu isn’t thinking about the future. An unpopular figure in his country, he clings to power because of the war, holding fast to it the way a man lost at sea clings to an ice float even though it’s melting.  Youth may see Biden’s politics in the current conflict as uncaring, but their viewpoint may be too simple.  The suffering in Gaza is unconscionable, agreed. But, so far, Biden has kept our alliances intact in the Middle East; held Iran at bay; secured world trade by monitoring the Suez Canal, and made talks about a two-state solution credible. Not bad for a man forced to dance with wolves. In a bad world, only a fool looks for rainbows.  Hal Brands in an edition of Foreign Affairs argues that given the current morality,  “…the only way to protect a world fit for freedom is to court impure partners and engage in impure acts.” (“The Age of Amorality,” by Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs March/April, pg. 106.) Brands’ advice may be repugnant to young minds and old ones as well, but the difference between youth and age is that the latter is more pragmatic.  Older people know that facing reality doesn’t mean giving up ideals.  It means they may see taking a step backward as a prelude to moving forward.  Nothing I’ve written diminishes the contributions young people make in the world.  Innovation flows from their plastic brains the way stars burst from a supernova.  I doubt an 80-something could have invented Bitcoin. Because our complex problems require complex responses, neither youth nor age should be banished from the stage.  We achieve more when we make room for each other.   Gloria Steinem turns 90 this month.  After the loss of Roe v. Wade, she hasn’t given up on women’s rights.  When a fan asked if she was planning to toss her torch to someone else, her reply was unequivocal.  “I’m holding on to my torch. I’ll let other people light theirs from mine.”  (Successful Aging, by Daniel J. Levitin, Random House, 2020, (large print edition by Penguin) pg. 662.)  Happy Birthday, Gloria!

[fanta-seee]

KID KISMET!! FUNKY LITTLE GUYS!!!

[aeaeaexxzd]

where the lines blur between shame, fear, guilt, desire, lust and need you'll find him