'International Day of Older Persons' was celebrated yesterday. If you see, slowly the number of morning walkers is increasing in the garden now. One corner is buzzing with healthy snacks and political discussions. It is common for people aged 60 plus to belong to two or three ideologies politically. But, another type of part divided into two parts is commonly seen. That is, a psychological approach to aging. Acceptance of aging is difficult for some and comes naturally to others. However, much of this situation depends on a person's personal philosophy, experiences, education, circumstances and how the people around him behave towards him. Many people view aging as a negative condition in society. Not only this, the elderly in turn also inappropriate their attitude and behavior. This inappropriate behavior is known as 'ageism'. Age-old traditional negative thoughts are believed to be responsible for this. This 'ageism' is also a dangerous discriminatory behavior similar to racism and gender inequality. This can also be considered a prejudice against the elderly. Due to all these, the 'fear' of aging creeps into the minds of some people. Sometimes the fear of people's misbehavior eats away more than the fear of disease or death. Professor of the School of Public Health of the Yale University of America Dr. Becca Levy, after several studies, states that, contrary to traditional beliefs, some of a person's strengths increase rather than decrease with age. It is believed that a person's creativity decreases with age, but recent research suggests that artists and musicians become more influential, creative and original as they age. Of course, it is true that some cognitive skills such as reaction time (the time it takes to perceive and respond to an event or thing) slow down with age. In some people, the ability to concentrate is increased. So suggests research published in the prestigious journal 'Nature Human Behaviour'. As one ages, one's potential to become more moral increases. The propensity to protest without cause diminishes in many. All this leads to increased social maturity and hence many frail elderly people experience increased levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Cornell University Sociologist and Professor of Psychology and Gerontology Dr. Carl Pillemer calls this the 'paradox of ageing'. Observations and research show that happiness declines in middle age, but increases in later age, according to a 'major study' of 145 countries. One thing for our society to learn is to understand from the study of Japanese people. One of the main reasons why people in Japan have the longest life expectancy in the world is that there is a respectful attitude towards the elderly. They are treated very well. T.V. Elders are respected even in shows or comic books. People who already see aging as a curse have higher rates of stress and other mental illnesses. People who have a positive attitude towards aging are protected against diseases such as dementia despite genetic causes. In addition, a negative attitude towards age leads to costly diseases such as heart diseases, lung diseases, diabetes, muscular diseases, minor and major injuries etc. Often they worry too much about past problems and underestimate their inner strength due to imaginary fears. Rather, the afterlife is a satisfying place if one develops moderate financial security and some spiritual understanding of a new purpose in life. One point that is very important here is that if respect is to be desired then such simple and natural behavior is also necessary. Try to keep yourself healthy as much as possible. It is beneficial to let go of the tendency to create 'guilt of not serving elders' among those close by being solely dependent on others. The people of the house are getting tired of the behavior of the elders who are only 'attention seeking'. That is to remember not to become a social hindrance to anyone in the home or outside the home in order to keep one's personality and existence dignified. Perhaps that is why various religions insist on turning away from spirituality at an older age. The Winning Stroke Over time, if only age increases, old age comes, and if people respect themselves, old age comes.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
Mental Health: You know the paradox of aging?
