What Is Ageism and How Can You Overcome It?

Ageism is discrimination against someone based on their age. It can happen in overt or subtle ways, in the workplace and in our daily lives. There are plenty of negative stereotypes about older people that can affect how you think about aging. It’s important to think about how to overcome ageism and negative thinking about aging.

One area where ageism is apparent is in the workforce. According to the Department of Labor, older adults are less likely to be hired in an economic downturn. You may know of someone in their 50s or 60s who was passed over for a promotion, laid off, or is having trouble finding a job despite having a wealth of experience. This discrimination stems from the false idea that once someone hits a certain age, he or she is automatically in mental and physical decline. There are plenty of examples that prove this false – one thing that we can learn from the incredible Betty White is that talent does not decline with age. She appeared as the host of “Saturday Night Live” at the ripe age of 88,[1] and starred in the film The Proposal the previous year.

Even if we do live in an ageist society, it’s good to have a positive view of aging. People who maintain a positive attitude towards aging tend to fair differently than those who believe that aging has made them undesirable or irrelevant. Studies show that people with positive views on aging take better care of themselves, recover from setbacks faster, do better on memory tests, and even live up to 7.5 years longer.[2] It’s all about resisting the urge to put limitations on your abilities based on age. Older workers have a wealth of experience to share with younger workers, and older family members have memories to share with younger ones. With so many things to love about retirement, why would you not look forward to aging?