Dr. Jeffrey Gladden explains how Western culture teaches people to internalize ageism, making them believe they can't do things at 60 or 70. These unexamined beliefs fuel depression and anxiety. Asian cultures honor aging instead, and Gladden argues that maintaining health into your 70s and 80s is something to appreciate, not restrict.
You do get wisdom and experience, and it is time to sort of release yourself from a lot of things. It's not easy, of course; it's hard. But a part of that that runs parallel to that is the aging process itself. And you know, we live in a culture that which I think is changing very different than Asia, which embraces aging. You know, we live in an ageist culture, which which creates self-imposed ageism. So people start saying. Well, I can't do this because I'm 60, or I can't do that because I'm 70, or I can't do— can't, can't, can't, can't, can't. And it's almost subliminal. They don't bring it to the forefront to say, well, why can't you do that? And so I think that adds to depression, anxiety, not accepting that, you know, if you're 70 or 80 and you're healthy, that is a blessing.
