Myth of “old age”
In our society, different persons
are marked as “old” when they reach different ages. Usually, this happens, when
a person develops some health and memory problems. Variation of ages, when
people are marked as “old” is huge. This could look as a realistic adaptation
to events, but … there are some powerful social trends and stimuli reinforcing
this designation. Escaping the group of people of “old age” is almost
impossible. There is even a medical symptom - “old age”. This designation is
not innocent - people of “old age” are consistently excluded from
decision-making, even in cases solely related to them.
This looks like a trap - this
should make one feel suspicious.
“Old age”, as a “normal
stage of development of a living being”, is an old idea. Often, it was
associated with experience, wisdom, and corresponding respect. “Old age”, as a
“stage of gradual and irreversible degradation of biological functionality,
manifesting in drastically reduced physical and mental abilities” is a
relatively new idea, where “irreversible” part is the strange one. This idea
persists in spite of numerous cases, where mental and physical decline was
reversed through advances of medicine and broad adaptation of advanced medical
methods in the society.
“Irreversible
degradation” is a highly impractical idea, because restoration of functionality
of a person of advanced age, even just partial restoration, allows society to
benefit from knowledge and experience of that person. The moral side of this idea
is outright disastrous. Doctors function in an artificial part of the society,
where highly moral behavior is observed and, most importantly, expected. The
idea, even an unspoken one, that old people should not be vigorously treated
creates an internal psychological conflict, which they could pacify only by
talking themselves into believing that such treatment is not possible. Somewhere,
deep in heart, they do not believe this, and this creates damaging internal
conflict.
The society pays too
high a price for maintaining this idea of “irreversible degradation”.
How could this idea of
“irreversible degradation” persist in the society for so long?
It cannot survive out in the open! It
exists as a Myth in subconscious of the public, with myriad conscious
interpretations, as follows:
·
It is hard to treat old people with numerous
illnesses in advanced stage, hence it is “impossible”, otherwise how well
meaning people would refuse to do so?
·
It is expensive to treat them; hence it is
“impossible”.
·
There are no paths of treatment, which carry
authorized approval; hence it is “impossible”.
There is nothing wrong
with ordinary Myths, they exist in open, and they have numerous interpretations
used to enhance our thinking. This particular Myth is different, it is hidden
and it is adjusting to the situation. It is hard to detect and analyze, and
consequences of its existence are horrible.
The idea of
“irreversible degradation” prevents attempts of early medical intervention,
prevents attempts to experiment with treatments and prevents attempts to study
the phenomenon. As a result, minor treatable deviations of body functioning
accumulate, become difficult to recognize or differentiate and this leads to an
illusion of irreversible degradation of functioning.
The idea of “irreversible
degradation” is a self-fulfilling “prophecy”. It is time to get rid of it.
The idea of
“irreversible degradation” is entrenched in the society and creates a special
social group – “old people”. In the case of illness, they are not treated from
that illness, but provided some “maintenance” - reduction of severity of
symptoms. The society pays huge price for this. In the case of epidemic, people
belonging to this group, with weakened body defenses from untreated diseases,
become “fire starters” and “fodder” of raging flame of spreading disease. In
this group, the disease matures; this is where it hides, when it is attacked by
the society; this is where it takes the vast majority of victims.
The society pays a huge
price for this Myth. It is time to get rid of it.
What should happen,
when the society drops the Myth of “irreversible degradation” of every person’s
health, and starts treating people of advanced age aggressively?
First, the artificial
social group of “old people” will gradually disappear with all its amplification
of epidemics.
Second, medicine will
turn to aggressive treatment of people of advanced age and this will rapidly
increase medical knowledge and experience of doctors.
Third, people will live longer, their
life will be more productive, the share of the population dedicated to care for
elderly will get smaller and the cost of such care will go down.
Fourth, people of advanced age will
stay in workforce longer, and the society will benefit from their years of
experience.
People of advanced age are more
inclined to seek compromise and peaceful solutions, because they know destructive
consequences of intolerance and conflict. Their active participation in the
life of the society should reduce intensity of social conflicts. This would be
the fifth benefit from getting rid of an illusion.
Alexander Liss 3/25/2020