Old age

Despite the negative response usually given to growing old, in fact there are many advantages in reaching mature years. Some cultures have valued this period of life above all others and in most cultures old age is treated with respect and deference to the acquired wisdom that experience brings. Depending on the mental attitude of the individual concerned, old age may bring the opportunity to develop those qualities which have been shelved due to the necessity of dealing with pressing everyday matters. There is often a detachment as the elderly person distances him or herself from the past. Even the depression or melancholy associated with memories of past happiness, and knowledge that what is past has gone for ever, can lead to a self-acceptance and self-knowledge that in themselves are satisfying and positive, almost a rite of passage for the soul. Such knowledge and acceptance lead to maturity, a widening of awareness, while failure to come to terms with increasing years and an inappropriate clinging to youthfulness may result real depression and unhappiness.