Ageism

When Bernie Sanders announced that he was running for president again, he evoked a comedic reaction that revealed a dark collective attitude, one that we have overlooked in our age of political correctness.  As a society we have learned to respect racial, religious and ethnic differences. We have grown more tolerant of a variety of lifestyle choices. More recently we have been challenged to accept gender diversity and sexual preferences. As we evolve, we adjust our language and behavior to accommodate more and more diversity. 

Nevertheless, one segment, and a large one at that, has borne continual mockery and become fodder for entertainment. I’m talking about the elderly. It’s called Ageism. Now while Ageism goes both ways – the old have attitudes about the young as well – we don’t collectively laugh at the infirmities of children. We don’t make fun of the handicapped. Most of us don’t prey upon their vulnerability. But the old – they’re fair game.

A stereotype is embedded in our collective consciousness of doddering senility. Old people are weak, pathetic and irrelevant, losing their minds and memories, falling prey to illness or accidents or investment scams. “Entrepreneurs” make a market on the elderly. Late night comedians do the same, entertaining their audiences with imitations of, or jokes about, old people.  Whole sitcoms are devoted to mocking the elderly and we don’t even hesitate to laugh.

And so it went with Bernie. Late night comedians evoked howls of laughter at Bernie eating dinner at 5 pm; of Bernie forgetting things; of Bernie making a fool of himself in an impassioned speech. Really? Bernie Sanders holds a high standard toward which we can all aspire, a man in his late 70’s who still has the energy to campaign, who still speaks up for what he believes in, who is willing to devote his precious time and energy for the benefit of his country. Bravo! We should be cheering.  We could learn a lot from Bernie about how to spend our later years.

Ageism is deeply rooted in our collective psyche, as deep as racism, sexism, nationalism. In our dualistic world, we have demonized the Other and created separation in our less than perfect union. We bemoan the splitting of our society, claiming that we all should work together, meaning we should do it “my” way. Yet while we shake our heads at separation, we advocate for it every time we judge, mock, sneer or feel superior to another – another neighbor, another political party, another foreigner, or gay, or immigrant or old person.

It’s time to remember that old people have lived a lot of life, have accumulated a lot of experience, and many have garnered a lot of wisdom. In more enlightened societies, elders are prized as mentors and sages. In our society, the elderly are an untapped resource. These are the parents and grandparents and great-grandparents, God Bless ‘em, who raised us, provided for us, put up with our growing pains, guided us safely through hard times. Where is our gratitude? Instead, we blame them for their mistakes, dismiss them as obsolete and make fun of their foibles, all the while demanding respect for our own.

Stereotypes are symptoms of lazy minds. Our complicated world is asking us to become more conscious, and here’s the thing: people age poorly when they live unconscious lives. We must beware that our unconscious attitudes lead us into the very fate at which we now laugh. If we really want to “Make America Great Again,” let’s start with respect.