Who hasn’t seen the advertisements for face creams that depict a mother and daughter, with the same radiant complexion, both having skin as smooth as a child’s, both perpetually young and beautiful? They happily smile into the camera, inadvertently causing the thought that they are surely the best of friends.
Today’s ideal of youth and beauty is in complete contrast with the accelerated aging of our society. It is estimated that by 2050, the average age of European inhabitants will be around 54 years old (currently 39). While politicians passively observe these discouraging demographic trends, the industry eagerly develops new products aimed at older people, such as mobile phones with voice-enabled email or larger screens from which older people can read without the help of glasses. Car factories are planning models tailored to people with physical disabilities, and travel agencies are catering to the special needs of seniors who would rather choose a cruise than skiing. In the developed Western countries, retirees are being taken care of. It has never been as good as it is today. Nowhere in the world are they taken care of so well. They have access to doctors, physical therapy, medicine, treatment, rehabilitation, long trips, sports for older people, etc. People in their golden years are everywhere, well-cared for, youthful, wealthy, lively, and enterprising. They have no problems with their identity. They have worked hard for decades and now they want to enjoy life.
In contrast, there is a feeling of lostness among the popular generation of young people between fifteen and twenty-five years old today. Twenty years ago, it was extremely desirable to grow up, while today young people are less motivated to find their place in society. Never before has the adult world had such an imperative of youth. In which direction will young people develop when their parents want to live their children’s lives at any cost? This is already evident in their appearance, as adults hardly differ in clothing, hairstyle, and behavior. From a young age, many daughters are bothered by the fact that their mothers shop for clothes in the same stores as they do. Fathers wear sneakers, wear baseball caps backwards, and accompany their sons to pop concerts. Young people have less and less space of their own because their parents take it up by going to the same cafes and the same cinemas. Is it even worth growing up? Dieter Thomä, a philosopher from Sankt Gallen, believes that taking up the space that belongs to their child creates a feeling in the child that the path to maturity is long and difficult. The search for a young person’s own future ends where they already are. How will young people grow up when adults are becoming younger and younger? Youth is omnipresent and has become the main characteristic of today’s materialistic culture of the individual.
On the other hand, youth can be independent of physical age determined by the number of years we have. In the search for eternal, timeless youth, we can determine the following focal points:
– Being in harmony with oneself. In the years. Regardless of how many we have, they are a characteristic of our personality, like hair color or a skill we possess. Let’s be proud of them, of the years of experience we have gained. Let’s embrace the calmness and wisdom they bring us. Let’s not be dissatisfied with aging and confidently talk about our years when someone asks about them.
– Preserve our dignity. In the well-known text Desiderata, it is stated: “Be cheerful even under the weight of years and joyfully renounce everything that is a characteristic of youth.” Let’s reflect on our behavior and avoid inappropriate or even tasteless expressions of youthfulness.
– View death as a friend. The soul is immortal, and death is only a transition into another form of existence. The Stoics used to say: “Throughout life, we must learn to die!” Those little deaths that are always connected with the beginnings of a new phase of life (birthday, New Year, the completion of a life stage) are celebrated without fear and with the awareness that there is no ultimate end.
From antique times, it has been known that it is not the number of years but the wisdom and experience that come with them that truly define a person’s character. Our years are a testament to our journey through life, and they should be cherished and celebrated. Embracing the natural process of aging and finding peace and contentment in it is something to aspire to. Let us not focus on the negatives of growing older, but rather see it as an opportunity for growth and reflection. Let us honor and respect ourselves, regardless of our age, and not let society’s expectations dictate how we should feel about getting older. Instead, let us celebrate the knowledge and insight that comes with each passing year. Let us approach life with grace and dignity, embracing the lessons learned and the wisdom gained. With this mindset, we can truly appreciate and make the most of our years. We know of the Golden Aphrodite, the goddess of eternal inner youth. What she actually is, we will learn from the speech attributed to Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor-philosopher, in which he calls upon his soldiers to find their own eternal youth.
Marcus Aurelius’ Speech
Youth is not one of life’s stages, but a state of mind; it is an expression of will, the ability to comprehend and the strength of emotions. It represents the victory of courage over cowardice, the victory of endeavor over the inclination towards a comfortable life.
A person does not become old when they reach a certain age. They become old when they lose their ideals. Years may leave their mark on faces, but the loss of ideals will leave a mark on the soul. Prejudice, indecisiveness, fear, and despair are enemies that weigh us down towards the ground and will turn us into dust before death.
One is young if they can still be amazed and thrilled, if they, like a child, constantly ask: ‘And then?’ One who provokes events and rejoices in the game of life. The young are those who never stop questioning and remain open to new experiences.
You are as old as your faith. Old as your indecisiveness. Young as your confidence and hope. Old as your despondency. You will stay young as long as you remain: sensitive to the Beautiful, the Good and the Great, sensitive to the voices of nature, of your neighbors, of the unfathomable. If one day your heart becomes dry of despair, consumed by cynicism, may God have mercy on your soul – the soul of an old man.
From the magazine Abenteuer Philosophie.