Rewriting Old Age: From Stereotype to Recognition
Old age is not an epilogue, nor a caricature, nor a stage of withdrawal. It is simply another — and full — way of being in the world. But we still look at it through the lens of prejudice.
An Imaginary Built to Exclude
For centuries — and still today — old age has been portrayed as the opposite of everything society values: beauty, youth, productivity, speed. In a world obsessed with the new, the old is unsettling.
This discomfort translates into stereotypes, clichés, political decisions, and everyday exclusions. Ageism — discrimination based on age — is, according to the WHO, one of the most widespread and socially accepted forms of prejudice. And often, we’re not even aware we’re perpetuating it.
It doesn’t always shout. Sometimes it whispers. It wears the mask of protection, but it acts as exclusion. It seeps into healthcare, into the media, into family relationships. Failing to see older people as full subjects of rights has real consequences: fewer opportunities, less autonomy, less voice.
When Prejudice Becomes Norm
The harm doesn’t stop at external exclusion. It is also internalized. Many older adults end up believing they can’t, they shouldn’t, or they don’t have the right to. Discrimination becomes silent resignation.
Recent studies show that living surrounded by negative stereotypes about aging is linked to worse health, greater isolation, lower quality of life… and even a higher risk of premature death.
And it’s not an isolated form of bias. It intersects with others: gender, class, race, disability. Ageism reinforces existing inequalities and undermines social cohesion.
Change the Narrative, Change the Course
But what has been culturally constructed can be deconstructed. And rewritten. We are not condemned to repeat the same stories. We can generate new narratives: fairer, more truthful, more diverse.
The pandemic was a mirror. It revealed both the fragility and the resilience of older people. It exposed gaps in care and the value of their presence. And it left an open question: will we continue treating longevity as a problem, or start recognizing it as a collective achievement?
Some international leaders have called for this to be a turning point. A moment to move beyond an assistential or decorative gaze and embrace a culture of recognition. One that understands old age is not a homogeneous block, but a multifaceted, active, and contradictory stage.
Actions for Real Change
To achieve this, we must act on several fronts:
• Legally: with anti-discrimination laws that recognize ageism as a form of exclusion.
• Educationally: incorporating content on positive aging and rights from an early age.
• In the media: portraying the complexity, strength, and humanity of old age without stereotypes.
• In public policy: ensuring participation, consultation, and equal access.
And above all, we need more presence. More voice. Older people must be the protagonists of cultural change. Telling their stories. Making decisions about what affects them. Not as a symbolic gesture, but as part of a generational pact where lived time is recognized as social capital.
A Cultural Revolution Too
Rewriting old age is not just about changing how we speak about it. It’s about changing how we see it, how we treat it, how we project it. It’s about understanding that all of us — if life allows — will grow old someday.
And the way we construct the narratives of aging today defines, deep down, what kind of future we are willing to inhabit.
Because there can be no longevity without cultural justice.
And no justice without representation, dignity, and equality.
The longevity revolution also needs a revolution of the imagination.
One that restores old age to its rightful place in collective life.
Not as a burden.
Not as decoration.
Not as an epilogue.
But as a full, vibrant, and necessary stage of the human journey.
What kind of old age do you want for yourself… and are you helping build for others?