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- image via frontiernet
This optical illusion, rendered in 1915 by British cartoonist W.E. Hill, has been used for around a century to illustrate the power of perception. It contains the image of a young woman (looking away from us, over her right shoulder) and an older woman (looking to the left). Which do you see? Can you make yourself focus on a different part of the image so you see the other figure? (Hint: the nose of the older woman forms the chin of the younger one).
If you can only see the younger woman and not the older woman, pay no attention to that howling mob of middle-aged ladies amassing outside your window with pitchforks. I’m sure their torches are merely for decorative purposes.
Challenge the status quo by changing the language
When we explore the image to find the second person in the illusion, we force our minds to see the image in a new way. By doing so, we challenge our visual perception in the same way we can challenge society’s negative perception of aging. The best way to do this is to start with our language — the words we use or even think have a strong influence on our attitudes and actions.
As WiseTriber Deb Talbot put it, “When I worked in the corporate world, I learned two very important things. If you want to change the way the world works, you have to make changes to the language and the measurements that both serve to keep the status quo.”
Know the stereotypes and discard them
If you look up synonyms for words like “old” and “age,” they are stereotypically negative. They refer mostly to waning and declining. See for yourself, if you’re ready to be depressed! Some aspects of aging can be perceived as negative, but they’re certainly not the whole picture. The words we use to describe ourselves need to reflect the fullness of who we are, whatever our age.
Mahatma Ghandi, a fellow who knew a thing or two about words, wisdom and ladies, had this say: “Be careful of your thoughts, for they become your words, which become your actions, habits, values and destiny.”
Language, young man!
If we’re going to change the prevailing perception of aging, vocabulary goes along with it. We must take back the words that define us and give them new meaning. We’ve got to set new standards for what a life well-lived looks like. We can reject words like “inactive” or “impaired” and replace them with words that reflect the new reality of who we are, while still embracing the changes that come with each new phase of life.
Deb concludes: “WiseTribe is a good example of language change. Being a WiseTribe member sets me apart as special, whereas ‘elder,’ ‘older,’ and ‘senior’ can all conjure images of over the hill. Maybe we all need to spend a day with a journal and write down every time we catch ourselves thinking or doing something that traps us in the ‘past prime’ mindset. We’ve got to clear our own heads before we change the world.”
Oh great! I’m not as young as I used to be!
Aging comes with huge upsides like wisdom, experience, and perspective. Yay. Now let’s see you put that on a magazine cover or in a car ad. The truth: modern society doesn’t leave a lot of room for recognizing and celebrating those values. Deb added, “We need to attack and change language and measurements that push us nearer the cliff. When fast and furious is the only measure of a life well-spent, we lose.”
Let your actions demonstrate the vitality of you right now. Start by changing your language.
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Elizabeth Kays is a storyteller with a background in science and a deep love for all things intercultural and intergenerational. She graduated with a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Oxford, deepening her appreciation for science and culture. Elizabeth has more than 10 years of experience helping Millennials discover their talents. She’s more than a little bit nerdy and loves cooking, writing, speaking and watching cheesy sci-fi. Follow her on Twitter (@LizKays) and on Tumblr.
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