Psychology
Myth 9: Old Age is Typically Associated with Increased Dissatisfaction and Senility (50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology)
If you are told to picture someone who is lonely, depressed, unable to keep up with technology, dependent, forgetful, physically weak – you may imagine an older person. But many of these perceptions are false. Our impressions of the elderly are cystalized at a young age.
If you are told to picture someone who is lonely, depressed, unable to keep up with technology, dependent, forgetful, physically weak – you may imagine an older person. But many of these perceptions are false.
Our impressions of the elderly are cystalized at a young age. In Snow White, one of the seven dwarves, “Grumpy”, gives us the impression that the older one gets, the less satisfied and competent they become. In the Sopranos, Tony’s mother, Livia, tries to organize a hit on Tony because he tried to admit her into a nursing home. And his demented uncle, Junior, shoots Tony, thinking he was an enemy who died 20 years earlier.
Depression afflicts nearly 15 percent of the elderly, but old people on average report higher satisfaction than younger people. And interest in sexual activity does not wane. In a study, over 75% of men and 50% of women between the ages of 75 and 85 reported that they were still interested in sex. Health problems, like obesity and diabetes, were much better indicators of sexual activity than ageing.
In King and Queens, Arthur Spooner plays an old man who struggles to keep up with modern demands, like operating a DVD player. But many older people find the time to learn about new technologies and master them. The saying ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ is false.
Source: 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior, Scott O. Lilienfeld
If you are interested in reading books about unmasking human nature, consider reading The Dichotomy of the Self, a book that explores the great psychoanalytic and philosophical ideas of our time, and what they can reveal to us about the nature of the self.
YARPP List
Related posts:
- Myth 10: When Dying, People Pass through a Universal Series of Psychological Stages (50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology)
- Myth 24: Happiness is Determined Mostly by Our External Circumstances (50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology)
- Chapter 7: Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis (The Discovery of the Unconscious)
- Chapter 8: Alfred Adler and Individual Psychology (The Discovery of the Unconscious)
Keep Reading
Related Articles
Psychology
Strategy 13: Know Your Enemy (The 33 Strategies of War)
## The Intelligence Strategy The key to success in battle is to know the mind of your opponent. If you understand their psychology, then you will know how to deceive and control them, while avoiding being preyed upon yourself.
Psychology
Strategy 19: Envelop the Enemy – The Annihilation Strategy (The 33 Strategies of War)
# The Zulu The Zulus defeated the British, even though their technology was inferior. They managed to instill fear in the British by appearing to emerge out of nowhere, and by gaining a psychological advantage.
Psychology
Self Reliance Summary (6/10)
[Self-Reliance ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486277909/unearnedwis05-20)was an essay written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In it, he explains to us why the answers we seek are not found in trusting authority, blind religious faith, or following convention.
Psychology
The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Part II, Chapter 1: Emanations)
# Part Two: The Cosmogonic Cycle *Marduk and Tiamat* ## Chapter 1: Emanations ### 1. From Psychology to Metaphysics Myths resemble dreams, they are both manifestations of the unconscious. Symbols represent unconscious desires, fears, and tensions.