The Psychology Podcast: Ageing Meaningfully
Have you ever found yourself avoiding conversations about growing old with peers, loved ones and family members? Why is it that growing old is riddled with stigma, awkwardness, and a lack of conversation? What is the psychology behind growing old, what exactly should we be discussing, and what is there yet to discover?
“Hopefully we’ll provide a glimpse into human possibility.”
The Psychology Podcast with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman is a great listen if you're looking for interesting insights into the mind, brain, behaviour and creativity, with each episode featuring a new guest who aims to stimulate your mind and give you a greater understanding of your self, others, and the world we live in.
In this podcast, Scott talks to Christina Pierpaolo, a graduate student in the Geropsychological doctoral program at the University of Alabama whose research explores associations between chronic illness and psychological health in older adults.
As they discuss, this particular field of psychology that focuses on ageing can often be described as underrated, poorly understood, and riddled with all sorts of stigmas. Yet, now more than ever before, adults are living to an even greater age. It's an awkward topic, there's no denying it. Ageing invites conversations about mortality, finiteness, the unknown and eventually losing many things we take for granted.
It's a really insightful listen that reminds us just how important it is to consider age and stop ignoring it. It's the direction we are all heading towards after all. As Christina suggests, "the earlier and more often you think about your own mortality, the more gracefully you will live your life." Thinking about ageing doesn't have to be morbid, why should it be depressing? With wisdom and life-lessons, ageing is something to celebrate. There's a huge difference between subjective age, chronological age, and biological age too... and, as we see it, rather than focusing so intently on the number, there sure is a lot to be said for concentrating on the way you feel instead.
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