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Mysteries, realities and prejudices
about aging
BY
JOAQUIN ORAMAS
AGING, which still hasn’t been completely deciphered
by science, presents us with mysteries, realities,
and even signs of prejudice that bring up numerous
questions. Dr. Eugenio Selman, promoter of the 120
Years Club, responds to some of them.
Researchers say that the fact that an adequate and
credible definition of aging still can’t be given is
a great difficulty. They add that all of the
definitions proposed are based on its shortfalls,
negative aspects and losses.
Could that situation affect credibility regarding
the possibility of living to 120 years or more?
It’s
true that there is still no unanimously accepted
definition on aging. Generally, it’s accepted that
the definition contains elements of various
opinions.
In
relation to the question, we should say that we
firmly believe that humans as a species could live
to be 120 and possibly even older, as some authors
believe. Many cases are known of persons who managed
to live close to 120 years, and if others haven’t
reached that age, it’s because they haven’t
undertaken actions that help to eliminate situations
that hinder the prolongation of their existence.
Nevertheless, there are cases where they’ve reached
120, which demonstrates that it is possible.
Do
you share the opinion that the concept of aging
can’t be adequately disseminated in a world that, on
the contrary, is making a cult of youth, making it
seem as though the only alternatives for older
people are to have resort to the same parameters
that youthfulness offers?
It
is true that a cult is made out of youth, but this
is just the result of media practices, which promote
that cult amongst the masses starting from
childhood. It must be taken into account that life
is a process in transit through various stages
before arriving at death. Each one of those has
their virtues and weaknesses.
Dr.
Selman goes on to observe that the experiences we
harvest as we travel through life transform our
point of view about things, and enable us to value
much more or in a different way various issues that
we didn’t give importance to before. That occurs
more easily if we learn, starting in childhood, to
value the positive side of life, he adds. In
addition, advances in science and technology are
resolving those situations that in other time
periods would have led to the impoverishment of the
older adult’s life. He cites as examples doing
appropriate exercises to maintain physical activity,
or adequate treatment for the enjoyment of sexual
activity.
VICIOUS CIRCLE OF A DEFECTIVE EDUCATION
“In
my day...” the elderly tend to say. When were those
days? When they were young? Could it be, instead,
that the times they’re living in now seem to have
left them out of the game, with no possibility of
joining in?
In
my opinion, this question is just the consequence of
misinformation and an inadequate education. Let’s
remember that it’s education that shapes people,
gives them knowledge and forms their consciousness.
The
education generally given in the 20th century world
is on that promotes selfishness and gives people a
dog-eat-dog mentality, isolating that solidarity
which should be the human being’s fundamental
characteristic.
This
defective education causes people to lose their
self-esteem when they stops working; they think they
are no longer useful and that everyone else sees
them as heading toward the end of the road, which
many times is true.
Selman warns that with that kind of attitude,
individuals contribute to that image and establish a
vicious circle that effectively takes them to the
end of the road.
People whom we call the elderly, as a euphemism, or
senior citizens (although we’re not sure exactly
when they become “senior” or if there is a stage
beyond that), present us with a challenge. Basically
because it’s a phenomenon that, sooner or later, we
will be immersed in with our own experiences. It’s
not some other person that’s old; rather, one should
think about the old person one will someday be, some
studies maintain.
There’s no such thing as youth, middle age, senior.
There are childhood, adolescence, young adult and
older adult. We should educate so that we can take
on what’s appropriate for us at each stage, the
positive and the negative, helping each other
through solidarity.
As
an older person, did you ever think when you were
young about the hope of reaching the age of 120? Did
you reflect on the alternatives of either we’ll die
young or we’ll get to be old? How have you felt when
thinking about death?
I
believe that during youth, according to the type of
education received, generally neither death nor the
years to come are thought about. However, I do think
that we should prepare children and young people to
learn to live to be 120 in a fulfilling way. For
myself, I don’t think about death, since my father
instilled it in me since I was a child not to think
about it, and to act as though I would live forever.
HOW
OLDER PEOPLE ARE SEEN
One
aspect that would be interesting to analyze is
society’s image of older people. Experts say that
the image that society has of the elderly person is
very negative; at least, in capitalist societies.
That is why many older people resist being
considered old. Do you share that opinion? What
aspects of aging can be rescued from that image?
It’s
true about the quite negative image related to the
older adult (notice I do not use the world old,
which we should set aside when referring to them.
It’s a way of educating ourselves).
That
negativity, as we mentioned before, is the
consequence of the defective education given
throughout the 20th century and which needs to be
changed with the aim of changing the world and
making it a world where solidarity reigns.
Among the positive aspects of this stage of life is
the simple fact of being alive. That is already a
plus in itself, but there’s more. Contrary to the
myth that the old are sick people, the majority of
them are healthy, according to doctors who reject
the formula that aging equals sickness.
Could the following platitude be true: that if a
person gets to be old, it’s because he or she hasn’t
suffered any serious illnesses?
Totally false. The human species can live to be 120
or more, in spite of having suffered serious
illnesses or accidents, if these are treated on time
and adequately.
Do
you mean to say, then, that the association between
aging and illness is false, because illness could be
associated with any time period in life?
Such
an association is equally false, since illness can
be associated with any age.
Logically, this entails a series of advantages. If
one enjoys life, one is in physical condition to
participate in life. However if you are young but
sick, you have more problems in developing many
aspects of your life.
Let’s go to another myth. Are the old wise, for
having lived longer?
No.
Remember that not everyone who goes through
university becomes an expert.
Apparently, nothing can be generalized about senior
citizens, since they’re really like everyone else.
Some studies on the subject say that there is a lot
of diversity amongst older people. They also say
that the time period covered by aging is long and is
constantly growing. What is that diversity between
older people based on? What group are you in and
why?
Everyone’s
different.
Even identical twins have differences
psychologically and in their social behavior.
Remember that we’re all different and that we’ve
said education is a basic factor in marking those
differences. In addition, there are other factors
that could be explored more at another time.
Nevertheless, I’m convinced that setting goals and
achieving them is the deciding factor in life. So,
the determination to be an active and happy older
adult is extremely important in being so.
Finally, Dr. Selman reiterates his belief that if we
set ourselves to do it, we can live to be 120, and
live satisfying lives without having to make huge
efforts or sacrifices. |
