It’s time to stop defining people by their age but to look at the person

Last week President of the States, Joe Biden, announced his intention to run for a second term. Some people were shocked that a man ‘so old’ would want to continue in such a demanding position. He is 80.

This week there was shock in the world of technology when the ‘father of artificial intelligence’ Geoffrey Hinton, announced his retirement from Google. He is 75.

One man wants to continue a career, the other to stop, but the debate on both their decisions has been laced with questions about their ages. How one is ‘too old’ to continue work and the other ‘not old enough’ to retire shows just how fickle our image of ‘old’ is.

In Joe Biden’s case some are asking if an 80-year-old has the wherewithal to be president. In Geoffrey Hinton’s case people are lamenting the loss of his expertise to the world of technology.

Many athletes retire from playing professional sport in their 30s, while artists and writers continue on, like in the example of French novelist Geneviève Callerot who published her fourth novel at the age of 98.

A Day in the Life - Róisín McGrath, Ballyfoyle Agricultural Show

It begs the question - what is ‘old’? And if we judge someone to be ‘too old’ are we just being ageist?
There is a form of everyday ageism that we are all guilty of - that young is good and old is bad. Everything from ‘anti-ageing’ beauty products to an assumption that people of a certain age can’t use technology (‘I’ll have to get a child to work that for me’).

Old brings with it cliched images of frail and doddery, while youth is an image of health and vigour.
These clichés are not just idle talk, however, because a UN study has shown that negative attitudes towards ageing are themselves bad for our health.

A total of 57 countries were included in the ‘World Values Survey,’ which was published in 2016. Of the 83,000 people questioned 60% said older people are not respected.

“This analysis confirms that ageism is extremely common. Yet most people are completely unaware of the subconscious stereotypes they hold about older people,” said John Beard, WHO Director of Ageing and Life Course.

“Like sexism and racism, changing social norms is possible. It is time to stop defining people by their age. It will result in more prosperous, equitable and healthier societies.”
The UN called for a campaign to combat ageism and highlight the important contributions that older people make to society.

Anne Griffith - Kilkenny’s first soccer international

The University of Michigan carried out a poll across the U.S. on everyday ageism and found that older adults who reported experiencing three or more forms of everyday ageism in their day-to-day lives had worse physical and mental health than those who reported fewer forms of ageism. They were also more likely to have a chronic health condition such as diabetes or heart disease.

On the other hand, the majority of poll respondents agreed that they feel more comfortable being themselves as they have gotten older and that they have a strong sense of purpose. Almost two thirds of the older adults polled also said that as they have gotten older, their feelings about ageing have become more positive and that their life is better than they thought it would be.

What the studies show is that it’s time to stop defining people by their age, to stop making ‘old’ a byword for ‘no longer useful.’

The Nobel Prize for Chemistry was won by 98 year-old John B. Goodenough in 2019; in 2018 the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Call Me By Your Name was won by 89 year-old James Ivory. In 2021, 89-year-old Ann Roth became the oldest woman to ever win an Academy Award when she won in the Best Costume Design Category for her work on Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and in 2021 actor William Shatner became the oldest person to go into space, at the ago of 90.
The 2022 Booker Prize longlist included author Alan Germer, who was 88 at the time.
Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura was 80, in 2013, when they climbed Mount Everest. And if you want to aim even higher… in 2015 Pole Stanislaw Kowalski competed in sprinting, shot put and discus throw in the Polish Veterans Championships - aged 105!

People don’t have to be Oscar winners or Nobel laureates to be useful. In our everyday lives we need to be surrounded by people with experience in all fields. Older people, especially, have knowledge and life skills to share that can’t be replicated - from granny’s apple tart recipe to where a river flows when it’s in flood, from local family history to local microclimates.
A hand of friendship has no age, nor does a listening ear.

Man told to take taxi by Kilkenny Gardaí, later arrested for drink driving

It’s that spirit that has inspired a growing Active Retirement movement. In Ireland the organisation has more than 24,000 members and there are clubs in 55 locations. Men and women from the age of 50 can join and clubs take part in meetings and activities to keep members active, healthy and well.

There are many more organisations for older people too, like the Go For Life group in Kilkenny City.
The county also has the Kilkenny Age Friendly County Programme, part of a network of Age Friendly Cities and counties. Kilkenny will be a county that enables its people to age with security, dignity and the capacity to participate as citizens to their fullest potential.
Meanwhile, the Kilkenny Seniors Forum is made up of people with a variety of skills and interests to continue to develop Kilkenny as a great place to grow old.