When Are We Old?

And what is this thing called old age?

Graphic by Presenter Media

Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years. Ausonius

But! But! But! [I hear people tell me]

“We must have a specific number for what specific age is labeled old age!”

Image by virtualvisa from Pixabay

I guess we need to know people’s ages like we know the ages of Old Ironsides, the Acropolis, Old Masters, etc.

Graphic by Presenter Media

For me — instead of asking how old a person is — the better question is:

Why are we so obsessed with people’s ages?

Image by Fathromi Ramdlon from Pixabay

Myths, Biases, and Stereotypes

Over my professional career, I have written and taught about myths, biases, and stereotypes in our understanding of human development. But until the last few years, I’d never given…