The stereotype that gets me the most is "that all elders are kind and at peace with the world". Though I wish this were true for every population not just our aging population not every older person is "at peace" with the world. I have met both kind and unkind individuals that are 65 and older. My Social work professor told our class of a case where a wife in her 70s was seeking advice on why her dying husband who was also in his 70s was not talking to her and my professor responded with "Did he talk to you before he was dying ?" and the wife responded with "no". We should not expect people to change their ways just because they have reached a certain age.
Another stereotype is that older people cannot learn new things or continue their education later in life. I have a Step Grandmother that is 70 and she regularly reads about 3 books a week, volunteers at an animal shelter, is an active member in the museum community and attends educational workshops. Every individual's life has its own set of variables and though we may have similar outcomes, I don't think we can categorize people perfectly. Another stereotype I have heard is that older people are boring and forgetful. Some of the most interesting and memorable conversations I have had have been with older people and they have told their stories with detail and clarity.
The stereotype that “older people are like children” is very degrading. It irks me to see people treat their elders like they are toddlers, and I think it shows a lack of respect for our older population. 50 years from now I hope to be treated as equally as someone in their 20s and not be looked at as a burden or chore. None of these stereotypes carry truth and they will end up being insulting when we are older ourselves.
“Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone”. ~Jim Fiebig
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