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Perceptions of Aging... |
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Aging
is a continuous,
complex,
and dynamic
process that
begins with
birth and
ends with
death.
And unless
we die in
our early
years,
we will each
grow old
and experience
the effects
of the
aging process. |
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| > | Aging Defies Definition | |||||||||||||
| > | Aging is an Individual and Complex Experience | |||||||||||||
| > | The Four Views of Aging | |||||||||||||
> Aging Defies Definition Aging is not mearly the passage of time. "It is the manifestation of biological events that occur over a span of time. There is no perfect definition of aging but, as with love and beauty, most of us know it when we experience it or see it."* THE AGING PROCESS BEGINS WITH BIRTH AND ENDS WIH DEATH. Thus, human aging is:
The commonly understood meaning of age, aging, or becoming old, is showing the effects or characteristics of increasing age. But biological age does not correlate with chronological age. In fact, there is no reliable measurement for determining our biological age. Time itself produces no biological effects. Events occur in time but not because of its passage. And, while most of us recognize advanced age when we see it, appearances alone do not determine how old we really are. Thus, aging is a very individual experience, that defies a universal definition. We are, therefore, all unique.
> Aging is a Complex and Individual Experience. The aging process is a complex series of post-maturational changes that are only beginning to be understood. We have difficulties understanding these changes because:
No Two of Us Are Alike Aging is best characterized by diversity—no two of us are alike. Consequently, the elder population is an extremely diverse group of aging individuals with wide differences that defy characterization. And as individuals, we may or may not experience a specific change at a specific chronological age. While each individual follows a similar aging path, it is a very wide path. Each arrives at a particular point, at a different chronological age, and with a different degree of functional change. Even our bodily systems age at varying rates. At any particular age, no two of us experience the same physical or sensory changes. Thus, an "old" person could have "aged" lungs and a "young" heart, while a "young" person might have "young" lungs and an "old" heart.
> The Four Views of Aging Our bodily systems undergo changes throughout the aging process. But because genetics and environment impact on each individual differently, these changes are quite selective. Most young people view old age through the narrow lens of youth, directed by instincts based on a sense of misguided empathy. They assume, incorrectly, that they know what someone of their age or physical condition is experiencing based on their imagination. This is known as The Psychologist's Fallacy. |
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Young People's View of Aging |
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Old People's View of Aging |
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The Four-Phase View of Aging |
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| The Critical Support Point |
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Transgenerational products and environments extend the critical support point for the young, the old, the able, the disabled— without penalty to any group.*Hayflick, Leonard. "How and Why We Age." New York: Random House, 1994.
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