Bored Panda got in touch with the lovely ladies behind Love of Aging, an organization dedicated to helping older folks live life to the fullest. Naturally, we wanted to know if there was any story behind its creation.

“Love of Aging was founded in 2020 by three friends — Candace Shivers (now 77), Liz Dietz (now 70), and Maureen Charles (now 64) – all experts on the difference that attitude makes one's experience of life. As we aged, we noticed that society wanted us to believe that life after 60 was on an inevitable downward slope, but that was not our experience. We found a lot to love about this stage of life, and we suspected that the key to our own experience was our attitude.”

“We found research on aging and attitude that supported our claim. So, we decided to create a platform where we could explore the intersection of attitude, science, and aging and bring others along. Our mission: To engage communities in creating a new narrative for aging.”

So we decided to ask them to share some common misconceptions about living at an advanced age. “We all have hidden biases. Mostly, we don’t realize we hold preconceptions about aging. Yet research shows that – although there are exceptions in countries like China and Japan – most of the world’s prevailing cultural age beliefs today are negative. We have been bombarded with these negative age beliefs since infancy and they result in implicit bias – that is, unconscious, unintended beliefs that shape our thinking and actions.”

“Common misconceptions: Myth #1: Most old people are weak, sedentary, doddering, disabled, and incapable. (Think Mr. Magoo!) Reality: Evidence shows that with the right contextual and social supports, older adults can remain healthy and maintain high levels of independence and functioning—even while experiencing some of the natural changes in vision, hearing, mobility, and muscle strength associated with aging.”

“Myth #2: Aging is a decline that ends in dependency. Reality: Experts (geriatricians, gerontologists, and social scientists) view aging as a continuous process of human development that brings new opportunities for growth, contribution, and self-expression across our lifespan. Aging is not synonymous with decline, disease, or disability.”

“Myth #3: Aging causes grievous memory impairment. Reality: Minor, short-term memory lapses are to be expected (at all ages) and are not an indication that our brains are in a general state of deterioration. In fact, other types of memory and brain function show no signs of deterioration and even improvement with age. Semantic memory – the recall of general knowledge – improves as we age. Procedural memory – our ability to recall and carry out a routine behavior, like driving a car or playing a musical instrument -- stays intact, neither improving nor declining. Neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to stay flexible and sprout new neural connections) continues to develop.”

“Myth #4: Aging is no fun. Reality: A recent study asked older adults around the globe what the best year of their life was. The number one answer was not 34 but 84! Myth #5: Attitude makes no difference to longevity. Reality: Studies have confirmed that people with a positive attitude toward aging live an average of seven and a half years longer than people with negative age beliefs.”

So we wanted to expand on those ideas and asked them to share some of the things that make older folks special. “Today’s older adults are an economic powerhouse, an experienced workforce (paid and volunteer) with longer working lives, and we have a lot to contribute. We are lifelong learners at our peak of wisdom and knowledge.”

“Cognitively, we are at the top of our game in three areas: Systematic thinking, which allows us to see the forest as well as the trees, rising above minutia to understand the bigger picture. Paradoxical thinking, which is the ability to hold the tension of multiple opinions simultaneously. We can approach our challenges from different angles for a more inclusive resolution. Emotional Intelligence, which is the ability to manage our emotions and respond sensitively to the emotions of others. Includes: self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy, and decision-making.”

Lastly, we wanted to know if they had any parting thoughts for our readers. “Yes. One of the best things you can do to add love to your aging is to have a purpose for your life. It doesn’t have to be grand, although it can be, it just has to get you out of bed in the morning with a sense that your life matters.” If you want to see more of their work, go to Loveofaging.com.