Aging Is Not All Doom and Gloom

Benefits of growing older include increased patience, resilience and contributions to society

From dementia and diabetes to hearing loss and failing eyesight, as well as myriad other health issues, the stereotypes associated with getting older are far from positive or upbeat. But, ascending the elevator of age is not all gloom and doom.

"Older adults have a lot to contribute to the world," says Alan Cohen, associate professor of environmental health sciences in the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center. "Ageism takes away what they can contribute. Cultural devaluation of older adults has a major impact on their health and well-being ... If we could rethink the roles of older adults in a society and create important roles for them, their health and well-being improve and the whole society benefits."

"Age helps us be more thankful for things that youth tend to take for granted. A walk can feel energizing, and a heart-to-heart talk can be more fulfilling," writes Shalini Kathuria Narang  |  Credit: Getty

The Columbia Aging Center is tasked to bring about a change in the societal narrative around aging by helping create a third demographic dividend to harness the power of older adults, including their wisdom and knowledge for stronger economies, societies and social networks.

As lifespans have lengthened and health at older ages has improved, it's important to revisit, acknowledge and promote the varied areas that get better with age and how the older adults can stay healthy and contribute to societies with their experiences and skills.  

Research shows that higher levels of resilience may be more likely to prevent ageism from directly impacting mental health

Benefits of Aging

To begin, patience and perspective rise with age and varied life encounters bring a higher sense of acceptance of self and others aiding older adults in making smart decisions that are not just for attaining personal goals or gains but are more altruistic. Wisdom and empathy also ascend with age. 

According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), "Aging may also bring positive cognitive changes. For example, many studies have shown that older adults have larger vocabularies and greater knowledge of the depth of meaning of words than younger adults. They may also be more learned from their many years of accumulated knowledge and experiences."

"Research has shown that older adults have greater psychological resilience and are better at dealing with complex problems, being more we-focused than me-focused."

Research has busted the myth that aging past 70 has no benefits. The ability to resolve conflicts strengthens with age and aging is also associated with more positive overall emotional well-being. Older adults are emotionally more stable than younger adults and better at regulating desires. Although cognitive processing slows down with age, the slowdown is usually on the order of milliseconds and doesn't always make a meaningful difference in daily life.

"Older adults have accumulated a lifetime of experiences and wisdom. Research has shown that older adults have greater psychological resilience and are better at dealing with complex problems, being more we-focused than me-focused," Cohen says. 

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Elizabeth Moeller

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