‘You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.’ BOB HOPE, American comedian and actor Before we start you might like to answer the following questions: • • •
How old do you feel you are? How old would you like to be? What age do you consider old age to begin?
We will come back to consider your answers later. Surprisingly, there is no simple answer to the question, ‘What is ageing?’ It can be very misleading to think of ageing as simply a chronological progression of the number of years we have lived. That approach fails to recognise that someone who is 60 can look and behave like a 40-year-old, and another person who is 40 can look and feel like a 60-year-old. Chronological age doesn’t give a clear picture of our ageing process.
‘Ageing is not just a physiological process but also a psychological, intellectual, social and cultural process. Our bodies change but at the same time we mature. Ageing is therefore less about the old and more about the new.’ ANNE KARPF • columnist and writer
Understanding age and ageing
UNDERSTANDING AGE AND AGEING
5
