Believing Myths About Aging Makes Growing Old Worse | TIME

I have to admit it is a disconcerting feeling at 73 to read a news story about a man and wife, 72 and 70, being described as an 'elderly couple'. That inspired me to look into the official age when someone turns 'elderly'. As I had already figured, 65 seems to be the watershed age to when one can be described as elderly, though they might have to rethink that as the age before one can collect social security keeps creeping up. Doesn't sound politically correct to force the 'elderly' to work. Of course, the older one becomes, the higher the age we consider 'elderly'. That is simple human psychology. I remember my grandfather in his late 70's bitching and moaning about 'the old people', like he was immune.

Now I have to question the article's position that us elderly are better at relativistic, non-dualistic, and systematic thinking. I surely see no evidence of that in real life. Seems like the older people I know get more calcified in their opinions as they age and see everything only in terms of black and white if Facebook posts are any clue. But I am happy to have lived to an age that when if I die it won't be a tragedy or a "he went so young" deal. Now I have to see if I can make it to 80 and qualify for "he made it to a ripe old age and lived a full life" tagline. My high school reunion Facebook page is turning into an obituary column, and my new goal is to outlive everyone in my high school class. So far, so good, but coming up in the next decade will be the middle of the batting order.