Facing and Feeling Your Age

In the wake of President Biden’s decision to stop his Presidential campaign, and the ongoing 2024 Olympics, age is something we are all talking about. At age 78, Former President Trump is now the oldest American to run for office and would be the oldest President if elected, both records formerly held by President Biden. Meanwhile, in Paris the oldest Olympic competitor is a 59-year old equestrian, while Simone Biles at age 27 is widely expected to become the oldest woman to secure an all-around Olympic gold medal in 72 years.

Of course, the importance of age is relative. The demands of heading up the most influential country in the world and performing seemingly impossible gymnastics skills vary, but by almost all measures we are pushing the upper limits of human aging. Adult life expectancy, calculated to compensate for the high rates of childhood illness and death common in the past, has still increased significantly. In addition, advances in technology and medical care mean that we work, travel, and participate in sports and hobbies longer than people in other eras were able to do.

That doesn’t mean that aging takes no toll. With time, our bodies and brains change. The flexibility of our joints, the ability of our immune system to fight off invaders, the efficiency of our cardiovascular system, and the speed at which our neurons process and recall information become diminished. While staying active, taking vitamins, and monitoring our health can slow these declines, we have yet to find the elixir of eternal youth, and so must come to terms with age-related health issues the longer we live.

Our psychological views of aging shift over time as well. While our objective ability to measure time may not vary, our subjective perceptions do. When we are children, time seems to move more slowly than when we are older. This may be due in part to the percentage of our life that a segment of time represents. When we are younger, a year represents a larger chunk of our life than it does when we enter middle or old age. In addition, the demands of our lives change. As we get older, we encounter less new information and fewer novel experiences than when we are younger, so time flows together and seems faster. Aging is also accompanied by the knowledge that we are closer to the end than beginning of our own life.

Some people cope by trying to hang onto their youth in appearance or outlook, others lean into the idea of retiring to take life more slowly or to pursue hobbies or travel. Certainly, your health, financial resources, and access to health care impact these decisions, but we also view age in the context of the social norms and attitudes around us. In the Western world where independence is revered, aging is typically viewed as a negative experience characterized by the loss of abilities and options, while in communal cultures older individuals are accorded more respect. Nevertheless, stereotypes regarding the elderly are persistent and include the belief that most older people are anxious, lonely, and depressed. In actuality, the elderly tend to report lower levels of such emotions than people at other stages of life.

Another key factor in aging is how we view ourselves. When we are young, we yearn to reach milestone ages so we can drive, drink, or leave home. However, by middle age, we often report that we feel significantly younger than our chronological age would suggest. This subjective age bias has been described as an age group dissociation process that results in people reporting that they feel from 10 to 21 years younger than they are, a difference of 13 to 18 percent. Feeling younger can be beneficial, as it is associated with better physical and cognitive health, a greater sense of well-being, and resilience to stress. But as with most things, there is a limit to the benefit of this form of self-deception.

Attempting to ignore age-related realities, such as greater susceptibility to illness and reduced physical strength or sensory acuity, can result in poor health, falls, or accidents. As we age, we amass a larger knowledge base and more practical skills and abilities than the younger people around us but often find ourselves struggling to respond to new information or to recall things as quickly as we once did. While this isn’t always a problem, it is important that we are honest with ourselves about when it is time to step away or alter the way we approach our jobs, responsibilities, and daily activities. This can feel threatening in a culture based on independence and accomplishment, but it can also herald a new set of opportunities.

President Biden’s courageous decision to suspend his bid for a second presidency is bound to have an impact on his self-image and view of his own future. Having spent a lifetime in public service he probably doesn’t have a plan for what he will do when his current term is over. But he may well find that spending more time at home, with his friends and family, compiling his presidential library, supporting causes he cares about, and even writing a memoir is more gratifying than he anticipates. Regardless of our political views, this may be a good time for all of us to review our views on aging, both in the abstract and in terms of our own future.

It is a privilege to live long enough to become old, but it isn’t an easy journey. As a society we need to think about how best to help people function to the best of their ability for as long as they can. As individuals we need to be honest about our own capabilities and open to finding solutions to cope with aging-related changes. As humans we need to extend grace to each other regardless of our age and abilities, since none of us will remain young forever.