Why We Have It All Wrong
By: Alexia Georghiou
Tags: Happiness, Aging, Purpose, Productivity, Personal Development

By ‘It’ We Mean Aging, it’s Relation to Happiness & Value

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash, N. Ireland

Culture is derived from the two elements of cognition and emotion. These are our beliefs based on what we value. Different cultures around the world value seniors in different ways. Do we want the elder to speak? This depends on how we view those who are over 50. Do we believe they are wise with experience to share, or do we devalue them seeing them as senile and without zest?

Research from The New England Journal of Medicine, 10.389 (2018), shows us we are most productive age 60–70 years old, with age 70–80 coming in second place and 50–60 in third. The u-bend is a subjective report of well-being with participants reporting increasing levels of happiness after 50.

Consider the following:

The average age of a Nobel Prize winner is 62.

The average age of a CEO in a Fortune 500 company is 63.

The average age of the pastors of the 100 biggest churches in America is 71.

The average age of Pope is 76.

This is not surprising if you take a step back and look at the scenario. Productivity means the ability to achieve the desired results. What gives us ability is knowledge and experience.

Turning 50 during 2020 has been a pivotal moment for me. I have embraced that not everyone will like or value me, as has been my experience in life. Have you noticed some ants stick together, while others diverge as soon as they intersect? I have interesting stories of people that I have met in life with whom I seemingly had a belief system very different from theirs in terms of politics & religion. What we had in common was the value of acceptance, perspective taking to learn, that culture plays a key role in life, and we have commonality as human beings. This is the core of belonging; to allow ourselves to be. Be with and allow others to do the same.

We are in need of a culture shift away from certain beliefs gravitating to look at what the research shows: we have more to offer as we age. Many express fears of agism, not being able to be hired due to age, being let go and replaced by the younger generation. Some employers have perceived they can pay less experienced employees less, thus saving money by pushing out our elders. Our thinking about our aging workforce needs to shift. Look at what research shows, moving to value the diversity & inclusion of seniors, removing beliefs that are based in implicit bias. These are thoughts that are embedded in us without our consciousness of them that, left unchecked, may lead us to discriminate.

Photo by Jonatan Pie on Unsplash

Whistle while you work those of us who are 50 and above! The future looks bright in terms of happiness and offering the world substance. To the rest of the population, be intentional to embrace those elders in your community. Whether at work, home, school, or a community setting seek out the older members. The best soft skill to practice communication which is rooted in listening. The keys to happiness and productivity lie within.

Clap for this article if you can relate, feel hope, or found insight!