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The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

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    The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

    I found this while surfing.
    Sauce

    A quote: from the site.
    Partly we fear our own mortality. The elderly remind us of what’s in store for us when we get older. And we’re terrified of madness. We’re appalled by the deterioration of the mind and the breakdown of personality. But it’s not just fear. There’s a sort of repulsion too, I think. Old people disgust us. The physical decay – as well as the sheer weakness and neediness – repels us.

    This is why I am for death with dignity.
    MAGIC is MAGIC,black OR white or even blood RED

    all i ever wanted was a normal life and love.
    NO TERF EVER WE belong Too.
    don't stop the tears.let them flood your soul.




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    my new page here,let me know what you think.


    nothing but the shadow of what was

    witchvox
    http://www.witchvox.com/vu/vxposts.html

    #2
    Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

    Have you seen the Leonardo DiCaprio movie "The Beach"? People live in a utopian society on an island, and when someone gets seriously hurt, but doesn't die, Leo's
    character muses on how you have to either get better or die, because otherwise it spoils everyone's fun. I saw that part of the movie as a metaphor for old age.
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    Can you hear me, Major Tom? I think I love you.

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      #3
      Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

      I find myself musing on these things as I lay in the dark,when sleep eludes me. My mind explores the possible and the impossible as well. I wonder if in the vast universe could an intelligence become from the energy of it all,and is that what we say is a GOD? If we ourselves evolved into what we are now,what else could evolve in the vaster expansion of "The all"

      I know from being old,that when we get old,we become a different species. Like the caterpillar becomes something else,we become alien to the younger species. I think there is a reason people some times talk about the Wisdom of the old.
      MAGIC is MAGIC,black OR white or even blood RED

      all i ever wanted was a normal life and love.
      NO TERF EVER WE belong Too.
      don't stop the tears.let them flood your soul.




      sigpic

      my new page here,let me know what you think.


      nothing but the shadow of what was

      witchvox
      http://www.witchvox.com/vu/vxposts.html

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        #4
        Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

        Originally posted by Hawkfeathers View Post
        Have you seen the Leonardo DiCaprio movie "The Beach"? People live in a utopian society on an island, and when someone gets seriously hurt, but doesn't die, Leo's
        character muses on how you have to either get better or die, because otherwise it spoils everyone's fun. I saw that part of the movie as a metaphor for old age.
        Sounds a bit like the movie Logan's Run. Sorry you've hit the age of 30 and time to die.
        I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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          #5
          Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

          I was thinking about that Monsno,while I watched Blade Runner.
          MAGIC is MAGIC,black OR white or even blood RED

          all i ever wanted was a normal life and love.
          NO TERF EVER WE belong Too.
          don't stop the tears.let them flood your soul.




          sigpic

          my new page here,let me know what you think.


          nothing but the shadow of what was

          witchvox
          http://www.witchvox.com/vu/vxposts.html

          Comment


            #6
            Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

            I think this may be a generalization, a product of "youth obsession" brewed by an otherwise pointless cosmetics industry. I for one do not fear death. I don't try and welcome it or anything, but my wife is avidly interested in the more unusual parts of psychology and medical science, and through her I have learnt many things, particularly our unhealthy and frequently inaccurate view of cancer. Yeah cancer is bad, it kills people, but a lot of the time, a lot of people would actually be better off just living with the cancer until it takes you, because the treatment is significantly more damaging and, more importantly, debilitating. Why is merely surviving as good as living? No thank you. If I developed a form of cancer that has a low chance that chemotherapy or something would help, I'd rather just wait it out than being prodded, poked, sedated and pumped full of chemicals designed to kill my cells. This is covered in a good book called Being Mortal and Atul Gawande. My point being, not all of us fear our mortality but I do think old people are sidelined, particularly in Britain we treat our elderly terribly.Statistically, compared to Europe, we treat them the worst, and I do think the elderly as seen as a burden on the able-bodiedness of youth which is shameful. If we engaged our elderly more, they would suffer from dementia less (there are many ways to stave off dementia's different forms) and would be less of a financial burden but they are a source of understanding of the past that we will never have. We should cherish them. I would love to do more to make elderly people's live more fun and productive, but I can barely spare a day
            I'm not one to ever pray for mercy
            Or to wish on pennies in the fountain or the shrine
            But that day you know I left my money
            And I thought of you only
            All that copper glowing fine

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              #7
              Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

              Being in this age group myself,I find some people who have some "Power" over your life(care givers,and I might add my building manager) can be what used to be applied to doctors as VERY bad bedside manners. They do not really understand the concerns of we older people,my Building manager is more concerned with her image to her bosses,than how people living here are effected by her acts...when something needs fixing,the word out of her mouth first is how it will effect HER,not the need to fix it because it effects the person.
              If I had some power to choose the people I have to deal with,she would be out on her ass.
              MAGIC is MAGIC,black OR white or even blood RED

              all i ever wanted was a normal life and love.
              NO TERF EVER WE belong Too.
              don't stop the tears.let them flood your soul.




              sigpic

              my new page here,let me know what you think.


              nothing but the shadow of what was

              witchvox
              http://www.witchvox.com/vu/vxposts.html

              Comment


                #8
                Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

                One thing that really stands out to me is how things seemed to flip from "You're too young to know anything" to "You're too old to know anything", and I never had an arc of being a regular adult.
                sigpic
                Can you hear me, Major Tom? I think I love you.

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                  #9
                  Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

                  My patron Goddess is Cerridwen, I do not fear death nor do I run from old people. If anything I run to them. I love and respect them more then most people in this world. I cannot wait to be a Crone. Older people have learned more lessons then myself, been through more then me. They have lived good lives, rough lives, sad lives, happy lives, they have traveled and seen the world. They have raised their families, survived epidemics and diseases. They have lived through world wars. They have done things I have never done and may never do and I wish to hear about their lives and the wisdom they have to pass on. I do not fear death because I know that death is not the end. I know it is but a stepping stone. I can only hope to be as wise and knowledgeable as so many of them are.
                  "If you want to know what a man is like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." -- Sirius Black

                  "Time is an illusion, lunch time doubly so."-- Ford Prefect

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                    #10
                    Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

                    I don't fear death. I just hate that bitch.
                    Satan is my spirit animal

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

                      Originally posted by anunitu View Post
                      I found this while surfing.
                      Sauce

                      A quote: from the site.
                      Partly we fear our own mortality. The elderly remind us of what’s in store for us when we get older. And we’re terrified of madness. We’re appalled by the deterioration of the mind and the breakdown of personality. But it’s not just fear. There’s a sort of repulsion too, I think. Old people disgust us. The physical decay – as well as the sheer weakness and neediness – repels us.

                      This is why I am for death with dignity.
                      I have never heard of this perspective, and it seems to be an eye-opener for me. I have wondered often why so many more people seem to ignore or mistreat the elderly than empathise with them or actually seek them out.

                      I disagree with some of the generalisations in the article, however. "Old people disgust us", for instance, is a confronting statement that I personally disagree with because it does not apply to me. I have a different view of the elderly. I was raised by my grandparents, and to this day, I gravitate towards old people - I enjoy their company, the way that they look and speak, the stories they have to tell, all of it. I have perhaps the opposite issue from society in that I am repelled and disgusted by youth. I watched my grandmother deteriorate from Dementia and it has not changed my feelings and attitude towards the elderly. I even toy with the notion of getting into the Aged Care sector. In general, elder abuse infuriates me, but I do see the validity in some of the points in the article making sense from a psychological perspective.

                      If this is the case, then perhaps some form of specialised psychological and psycho-social education is needed to help individuals with compassion fatigue or this "elder repulsion" deal with their issues with death and aging in a proactive sense before they commence a career being responsible for the health and well-being of such a fragile demographic.

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                        #12
                        Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

                        I have friends from the ages of 16 to 75. I don't run from the elderly nor do I seek them out. I seek wisdom and interesting points of view, and flexibility of attitudes - and in my experience these can be found in any age group. What I run from are the willfully stupid or dogmatic. Unfortunately these can also be found in any age group

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                          #13
                          Re: The real reason we neglect the elderly: They frighten the hell out of us

                          I lost my two grandfathers and one grandmother by the time I was four. My other grandmother lived with us for a few years until she moved into her own apartment. where she lived by herself until she past away at the age of ninety. We use to visit her every weekend because she never learned to drive a car so she couldn't come to us. I loved hearing the stores she told about living on the farm and driving a horse and buggy to the one room school house where she tought. Maybe because of her I find older people very interesting to talk to and be around. Like Marradin stated stupid can be found in any age group.
                          Gargoyles watch over me...I can hear them snicker in the dark.


                          Pull the operating handle (which protrudes from the right side of the receiver) smartly to the rear and release it.

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