industrial revolution brought many complex changes H u m a n i t i e s

The discussion was about chapter 7-8 , from the book “This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism Book by Ashton Applewhite, so i read the 2 chapters and write this paragraph :

Author and activist Ashton Applewhite in her book, “This Chair Rocks”, has penned against the
prejudices regarding old age and has stood against ageism. For me, this book is an eye-opener
towards the fact that- the more one approaches closer to death, the less fearful of death he/she is.
This statement sounds contradictory to the common belief that old age is full of fears, sorrow,
dementia, and diapers. The ageist society has linked the scary idea of death to old age. However,
as stated on page number 171 of the book- “The true failure here is not old age;  rather, it is the
failure of our own creativity and willingness to conceive that life up until its last moments has its
own ways and meanings”, very well busts the popular myths regarding old age. The sorrow of
old age is not linked to its diseases and decreased physical capacity that reminds a person of their
nearing death. This is shown on page number 203 of the book where the author mentions a study
conducted with the old people where the people with the highest physical capacity rated their
quality of life as lousy, while others in far worse shape rated it as good or better. The fear of
death vanishes in people above 90 years of age. There is acceptance and the ability to live in
peace with the inevitable truth named death. The ones who are the most fearful of death are the
younger adults. The more one approaches closer to death, the less fearful of death he/she is- This
is that one big idea that was new and insightful for me. I related to this idea personally as I am
seeing my aging parents turning apprehensive of the idea of death and of suddenly leaving
everything behind that they have earned in this life, while my grandparents are more at peace
with their state of being, even though they are physically weaker than my parents. This is making
more sense after reading Applewhite’s approach towards old age and ageism.

As mentioned on page number 206- “It turns out that the awareness that time is short doesn’t fill
people with dread. It makes people spend their time more wisely”. However, I am not fully
convinced with this statement as I have a doubt regarding the same. It’s not that the old people
alone are aware of the fact of life being short. We are aware of this since birth and we witness
time flying by every day. Still, we don’t quite live our life to the fullest even when we are aware
that life is short. So, according to me, the awareness alone is not enough, it’s the realization and
the feeling of satisfaction and contentment that makes one live their life to the fullest. Though,
I’m not quite sure if I am right. Hence, I would like to read about this more on the net and maybe
through some philosophical or spiritual books as I have developed quite an interest in this
topic.

You need this information to compare and combine when you write your replies.

For your classmates reply engage with the author by elaborating, comparing or contrasting,  sharing counterpoints (stats and/or studies welcome!), or drawing  connections to specific sociological concepts or theories.  This is an  opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking, so avoid simplistic  replies that mainly repeat the author’s post or others’ replies.  Try to  bring something new, insightful, or provocative to the discussion!   Maybe a video to answer their question?  Or a TED talk that elaborates  on their ideas?  Be sure to use in-text citations when appropriate and  page numbers so others can easily find the passages you’re discussing! Here is the 2 classmates post :

1- Geneva Nguyen: In Chapter 8 of This Chair Rocks, we learned that younger adults consistently report higher fear of death than older adults. Despite having fewer remaining years left, older adults are not filled with dread as many suspect they would be. The disengagement theory argues that older adults naturally withdraw from society in preparation for death but nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, older adults spend their time more wisely by prioritizing existing relationships and spending time on activities that they know to be satisfying because they are aware of their limited time.
I have to admit that I am guilty of believing in the disengagement theory. When I picture an old person, I imagine them sitting at home in isolation doing something really boring. However, I fail to realize that many older adults are simply doing whatever it is that THEY find satisfying. The things that I am interested in, such as going to concerts and socializing with strangers that share my interests, may not be something that older adults would find enjoyable. After reading this chapter, I now know to give older adults more credit because they know themselves and their interests and it is okay to like “boring” things. I also plan to take the advice that is given in the chapter to travel more and worry less. Write reply here….  

2- Alana Cantu: One big idea that was insightful for me from this reading is the concept of retirement. Personally, i view retirement as another stage of life and a continuous healthy stage of that. Whereas many view retirement as a negative section in their life. But reading more in depth, I realize that the reason people have different insights and views towards retirement is because usually finances and or family and friends are not present. This is significant to me because Chapter 8 made me realize the importance of retirement along with restrictions that can happen. Not only is aging a big and scary problem for some individuals, but it is an important way of life that needs to be recognized as a positive stepping stone in life. For example, retirement is often used as a threat towards older family members. Why? I never understood why someone would threaten a family member to put them in a nursing home, or use retirement as an excuse towards older family members. I believe it to be cruel and wrong. When you think about it historically, few people lived passed the age of 65 (morality) in which retirement was not much of a thing until the later 1900’s. In the chapter, Industrial Revolution brought many complex changes, including retirement.  This created increased productivity and great surpluses in which it created a civil service pensions for government workers, leading to the retirement system. More than 95 percent of all adults expect to retire and although it has been an accepted feature in modern life, it is questionable if everyone will have the same positive experience (Applewhite, p.210).  Write reply here…