Amaging(TM) Growing Old On Purpose

We likely do not talk about growing older outside of our birthdays or our annual physical exams. Like politics, religion, sex, personal finances, illegal drugs, alcoholism, adultery, and other taboo subjects, our advancing age is not usually part of polite conversation. Similarly, age bias has been a taboo topic. Age bias, also called ageism, is defined as a systematic stereotyping of and discrimination against people on the basis of their age (North, 2015). A common example of age bias is the general assumption that all older adults become mentally and physically incapacitated.

Actually, the overwhelming majority of older adults are not incapacitated. Unlike other prejudices, age bias is more socially acceptable, and, if we live long enough, age bias will eventually target every one of us.