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August 06, 2008
age bias
What is the appropriate language to address older people? Can you ask for people's age anymore? I met an eminent researcher in his field and I was tempted to ask his age. I do believe people act differently as they approach retirement. They become more honest and do not care very much about the politics or even the social niceties of a situation. Instead, they are willing to let their true feelings show and sometimes the true brilliance or the glimmers of past brilliance comes through. For me, age can be a sign of where they stand in their careers. Are they looking for a final masterpiece or they feeling that their retirement should have been yesterday?
I once used the word "elderly" to an older gentlemen and realized from his expression, he did not like that word. However, different cultures look at age differently. Some cultures truly appreciate the wisdom and humility that often comes with age. Others treat it like the plaque that you cannot escape.
The riders in a race do not stop short when they reach the goal. There is a little finishing canter before coming to a standstill. There is time to hear the kind voice of friends and to say to one's self: "The work is done." - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Posted by azileretsis at August 6, 2008 07:09 PM
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