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Nobel Prize winners seem to be getting older according the Nobel Prize Internet Archive. How do some people manage to remain creative and productive into their 80s, 90s, and beyond? Grandma Moses, the famous American painter, lived to 100 years of age and remained active right up until the end. There are many other notable examples, such as John Glenn, who resumed his career as an astronaut at the age of 77 when he rode in the space shuttle Discovery. Glenn, who famously said " Too many people, when they get old, think that they have to live by the calendar," personifies age busting. Satchel Paige, whose long and illustrious career in baseball also bucked the trend by remaining an active player until the age of 59, made a similar observation when he said "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was?"
These shining examples are just a few of the many people who fit the criteria of being an "Age Buster," a person who defies age . A few years ago, I came up with this concept when I was reading the book Age and Achivement by psychologist Harvey Lehman, published in 1953. In describing the typical trajectory of accomplishments by people of various ages by discipline, he noted a number of exceptions of people who did not fit the "typical" pathway for their field. Composers, for example, reach their peak of productivity, according to the formula used by Lehman, in their early adult years. Using that criterion, Giuseppe Verdi, who composed his last opera, Falstaff, at the age of 80 clearly bucked that productivity curve. There are plenty of modern examples of Age Busters including actresses who are leading ladies even though actresses over 30 are often considered "over the hill." Consider Helen Mirren (age 64), and Katharine Hepburn who won 3 Oscars after she turned 60. Of course, the exercise guru Jack LaLanne, who I featured in my post on 10/28, is the ultimate Age Buster.
How do they do it? I think John Glenn and Satchel Paige actually had it right when they decided not to think about their age and instead think about their goals and aspirations. In my research on aging and identity, I have found that the most satisfied and successful older adults are the ones who don't focus on age, on their physical changes (within reason), or the stereotypes about age that are prevalent in our society.
At a recent panel discussion held at Stanford University, psychologists Laura Carstensen, Philip Zimbardo, and William Damon challenged our social conventions about careers. A number of years ago, I attended a conference based on Bolles' book The Three Boxes of Life and How to Get Out of Them. This was a revolutionary concept at the time; that we should not be trapped by the notion that our lives have to proceed in the order of school, work, and retirement. The Stanford panel suggested some ways that we can avoid those traps-- take a "sabbatical" from your career and go back to school for a while, find work that is truly fulfilling and will leave a legacy, make intergenerational connections. These are all great ideas and though not everyone can afford the luxury of a complete career 180, we can all avail ourselves of opportunities to feel that we are making a difference, no matter what our age.
Age Busters may be born with an edge that allows them to remain creative and productive throughout their lives. Analyzing the path of Age Busters, Dean Keith Simonton, of UC Davis, found that the most highly creative people who continue to blaze trails well into their 80s and 90s were highest in creative potential-- the ability to generate new ideas. They started their productivity early in life and maintained it right up until the end. Consider Michelangelo and Pablo Picasso. both of whom were starting on their upward trail of productivity in their youth and continued straight through to midlife and well beyond into their late 80s. Unfortunately some who would become Age Busters don't live long enough to fulfill their high creative potential such as Mozart and Van Gogh. We will never know how long they would have remained productive, but we can venture to guess that they would have kept going for decades past their untimely ends.
What if you're not born with high creative potential? Are you fated to become busted by age instead of an Age Buster? The answer is a resounding "no." All of us have creative potential, even if it is not the power to produce great music, scientific discoveries, or literature. Our lifetime of experience can give us unique abilities to contribute to the lives of others, as long as we maintain our mental flexibility and avoid getting set in our ways. We can also inspire others by our own personal narratives, the stories of our lives. Think of the people in your life who showed you how to cope with adversity, maximize the benefits of your relationships, and find your inner voice. By showing other people that you refuse to be defined or limited by your age, and by sharing your wisdom with the younger generation, you can and will become an Age Buster.
Follow me on Twitter @swhitbo for daily updates on psychology, health, and aging. Feel free to join my Facebook group, "Fulfillment at Any Age," to discuss today's blog, or to ask further questions about this posting.
Copyright Susan Krauss Whitbourne, 2012
References:
Bolles, R.N. (1978). The three boxes of life and how to get out of them. New York: Ten Speed Press.
Lehman, H.C. (1953). Age and achievement. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Simonton, D. K. (2009). Genius 101. New York: Springer.
