The End of Old Age (January 16, 2018)

Living a Longer, More Purposeful Life

In The End of Old Age: Living a Longer, More Purposeful Life Dr. Agronin examines the way we talk about age and provides a new rubric for our conversations. Steering away from “Fountain of Youth” delusions, Dr. Agronin introduces two new topics:

• Age points, which “expose a gap between the challenges or demands of a life event and our existing strengths, values, skills, and connections…and make us into more developed and capable aging adults.” An example of an age point might be an injury, illness, or loss, and Dr. Agronin says that the way people reckon and resolve an age point can determine how they make important transitions.
• Age culture, which is defined as the “accumulating products of our aging self [which] represents a rich tapestry of abilities, interests, experiences, relationships, and commitments.” When a person actualizes their age culture and appreciates their whole, embodied self, Dr. Agronin says that it “can end the constricted notion of old age that we have for too long seen as our inevitable fate.”

The End of Old Age also includes an action plan that guides readers on a five-step path toward “re-aging” and realizing the strength that comes with their experience. Dr. Agronin reminds readers that “the ultimate goal is not only to live longer, but to live a better, more purposeful life.”