“Aging gracefully is garbage,” says psychologist and Saging expert Dr. Dorree Lynn. “This politically correct, media-friendly phrase is a detrimental message to send,” says Dr. Lynn.
“Aging Gracefully promotes a sense of false appreciation for getting old, like a seasoned, fine wine. Really it is more PR than it is real life,” she says.
"Baby Boomers are vivacious members of society and not willing to throw in the towel and be old yet. They have more disposable income than any other generation, are educated, and participate fiercely in political debates. They have experienced divorces and have a tangled web of disjointed extended families and stepchildren. They are opinionated, strong, and here to stay.
“The concept of ‘Aging Gracefully’ creates an unattainable standard that guarantees many people will fall short and thus feel inadequate. No one who has lived more than half a century has gotten to where they are without their share of hard knocks,” says Dr. Lynn.
“They do not simply age gracefully as if they are calmly rising out of a clam shell like Bottecelli’s Venus. They become people of substance precisely because they have worked hard, lived long, and experienced life fully.
“They have learned that that it takes a heck of a lot of time and effort to floss twice a day, eat well, exercise, remember to take their medications, keep their doctor’s appointments, and stay in good mental and physical shape. Their grace has been hard won, and keeping it is far from easy.”