Five Lies We Need To Stop Believing About Aging

You can't teach an old dog new tricks and other nonsense

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Old age is not a decline. It’s a maturation process, like fine wine. A 96-year-old Buddhist and environmental activist (Joana Macy) who is in hospice said recently,

This is the best day of my life.

I hope I will be able to say that and mean it when I’m 96. Such a wise statement is the culmination of a life lived honestly and in the present moment. Anyone who realizes that — this day right here — is the only one, knows what’s happening.

It’s a very Zen Buddhist view of old age. Today is not just the best day of our lives; it’s the only day. We live in a continually unfolding present moment. A great Chinese Zen master was famous for saying, “Every day is a good day.” We older people know intuitively what he meant. He meant, this is the only day you have, so you might as well enjoy it.

However, even though we may intellectually grasp this wisdom, it’s challenging to live it. I didn’t accept the fact that I was old until I was 68. The reason, I believe, is that I carried a sort of internal ageism.

I had absorbed all the false stereotypes about aging. And I bought them hook, line, and sinker. I didn’t want to accept that I was all those unpleasant things “they say” about older people. Now I know I must resist those old-age stereotypes, as if my life depends on it, if I want to thrive in my elderhood.

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Five negative old-age stereotypes that need to die.

The following are examples of the false and harmful age stereotypes spread by a wide range of societal sources. We all carry these viruses, and the first step in vaccinating ourselves against them is to recognize that they are in us.

These age stereotypes are from the book “Breaking the Age Code” by Becca Levy, PhD. There are more than five, but I will begin with these because they give me hope.

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You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

FALSE. By that logic, I shouldn’t have been able to start writing online at 77 and launch my Substack at 80. But I did — because I didn’t believe worn-out myths about old dogs.

The myth goes like this. After 65, I’m over the hill, out to pasture, not going to do anything new, useful, or creative. I should just play chess in the park with all the other old codgers. I should know my place. An angry young motorist yelled at me when I wasn’t vacating a parking space quickly enough for him.

It’s people like you who’ve got to go!

But I didn’t go. I decided to start doing new things in my late 70s, and I’m still doing it. Daily meditation, learning to write for publication, writing on Medium, and launching my Substack — these are just the beginnings. I’m feeling a surge of creativity and a lust to express myself like never before.

It’s a damn shame I’m not young. With what I know now, I could have raised hell in my youth. I no longer have the body for it. But my mind’s on fire, so I’m going to make the most of it while I can. We oldsters can not only learn new things — we can thrive in old age and learn from our mistakes.

Science has discovered the aging brain exhibits plasticity, meaning it can alter its structure and function throughout life in response to experiences and learning. While some cognitive abilities decline with age, others can be preserved or even enhanced through mechanisms of neuroplasticity.

When I was a kid, my favorite DC Comic was Plastic Man, who could stretch his body into any imaginable form. His adventures were known for their quirky, offbeat structure and surreal slapstick humor.

My mind is plastic and can change and learn as I age.

Truly surreal and wonderful.

Evidence: Plasticity of the aging brain: New directions in cognitive neuroscience.

We are fragile and shouldn’t exercise.

FALSE. I am the poster child for 80-year-olds who have not done significant, regular exercise for years, even though I know it would be good for me. I’m trying to break out of my sedentary mode. And I think I’ve found the perfect solution — if I do it.

Interval Walking Training (IWT)

Invented at a Japanese university, this is a simple walking exercise practice that blends slow walking with fast walking. It is recommended that I do it 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

Walk 3 minutes at a slow pace, then 3 minutes at a fast pace. That’s one set. Complete five consecutive sets, which will total a 30-minute walk. You can increase the pace and duration as you become stronger.

That may sound too easy to anyone who’s in good shape. But for me, at 80, who has not been exercising regularly for years, it’s a perfect start. Only five years ago, I was walking four miles a day in Golden Gate Park. So, I think I can learn and enjoy IWT.

For one who writes about thriving in old age, exercise is my major failing. I hope to correct that. I owe it to my health and my readers.

Dr. Becca Levy says that most older people can exercise without injury. The World Health Organization recommends that older adults exercise regularly, as it benefits cardiovascular and mental health, while also leading to stronger bones and muscles.

We all get dementia.

False. “Dementia is not a normal part of aging. Most older persons do not experience dementia. Only about 3.6 percent of US adults aged sixty-five to seventy-five have dementia. Further, there is evidence that dementia rates have been declining over time.” Says Yale Professor Becca Levy.

I have the decidedly unscientific belief that if I keep using my old noggin to write, think creatively, earn money with it, and have fun as an elderly creator, I will avoid dementia because I have a purpose. My intuitive belief is that if I fall into fear and negativity in old age, I’ll leave the door open for dementia.

And why shouldn’t I believe that? If I get dementia, there’s not much I can do about it. However, I can choose to live an active and creative life. I’m not leaving the door open — I have a reason to get up in the morning and live life to the fullest.

We are bad drivers.

FALSE. “If you find yourself behind the wheel muttering under your breath about the elderly driver in front of you, remind yourself that older drivers have fewer accidents than younger drivers. And are less likely to text while driving. You can also think about the many excellent older drivers, such as NASCAR’s Morgan Shephard, who raced at the age of seventy-eight.”
 — Becca Levy, Breaking The Age Code

I’m still driving at 80. The only accident I’ve had in old age was ten years ago when a tow truck rear-ended me at a stop sign. (How convenient.) I am a safe, careful driver. My meditation practice, combined with the wisdom of age, likely contributes to that.

In my forties, I made reckless decisions, leaving bars at one in the morning to drive home. I can’t count the times I floored the accelerator just for the thrill on the empty streets of San Francisco at one a.m. without getting in an accident and hurting someone or myself. I must have had a guardian angel watching over me. I was so lucky.

I’m a much better driver at 80 than I was at 40. The state of California, where I live, has no one-size-fits-all rule regarding the age at which one must stop driving. The DMV makes such decisions on a person-by-person basis.

My driver’s license expires this November when I’ll turn 81. Unless my wife (who is 65) tells me I shouldn’t drive anymore, I will apply to renew my license. I don’t know whether I will need to take a written test, a driving test, or both, but I’m sure I will get a license. And I will continue driving.

We lack creativity.

Non-writers don’t realize the level of creativity required to write and publish two or more articles a week. I write about old age and mindfulness. How many ways can I write about meditation and old age? Thousands of ways — because creativity is unlimited.

I use people’s ideas in other fields and adapt them to my needs. I get ideas when I meditate, when I watch TV, when I’m in conversation, and when I’m sleeping. Everyday life is an enormous library teeming with ideas for me to take and put to use.

And I’m not prohibited from doing this because I’m 80.

Many artists and writers created their most notable works in their later years. For example, Claude Monet, the Impressionist painter, produced some of his most famous water lily paintings in his 70s and beyond. Similarly, author Laura Ingalls Wilder published the first of her “Little House on the Prairie” books at the age of 65.

American conductor, pianist, and composer Michael Tilson Thomas (80) recently announced his retirement, not because he had run out of creativity, but due to brain cancer. He still has a lot left in his tank at 80.

Evidence: Consider Older Adults As Leaders In Innovation

“Older adults also held leadership positions in community organizations and spearheaded efforts to explore issues and problems in the area, such as helping to revitalize historic buildings, improving local water quality, and supporting nonprofit groups, the researchers say.”

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Wake Up!

Old age is not a decline into a hell hole of weakness and uselessness. We’re not over the hill, out to pasture, or helpless. We don’t let other people tell us the way we should be. We have agency, we have free time, and we have the hard-won wisdom to make our own damn decisions.

It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee in this beautiful world. It’s good to the last drop!

Gary
July 2025