Growing Old in a New Age: Intellect, Personality, and Mental Health
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Growing Old in a New Age
Intellect, Personality, and Mental Health
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Annenberg Media
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§
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ANNENBERG/CPB PROJECT
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I THINK ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND PHENOMENA
THAT'S OCCURRED IS THE GROWING NUMBER OF
POSITIVE MODELS OF WHAT AGING CAN BE LIKE.
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THE GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE AGING,
NOT ONLY VERY WELL, BUT SHOW THE TREMENDOUS
CREATIVITY THAT CAN FLOURISH IN LATER LIFE.
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NOW, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THOSE MODELS.
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THESE ARE PEOPLE LIKE SOPHOCLES, WHO WROTE
GREEK TRAGEDIES IN HIS 90s, PICASSO PAINTING IN
HIS 90s, GRANDMA MOSES PAINTING AFTER 100, AND
A MYRIAD OF EXAMPLES OF THAT NATURE.
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BUT NOW WE'RE SEEING NOT ONLY LARGER
NUMBERS OF THE VERY CREATIVE, BUT EVERYDAY
MEN AND WOMEN, WHO ARE PERFORMING AT A VERY
HIGH AND USEFUL LEVEL IN THEIR EVERYDAY WORK
OR HOBBIES.
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THIS CONCEPT OF WHAT AGING CAN BE LIKE I THINK
IS HAVING A VERY PROFOUND EFFECT ON SOCIETY
AND YOUNGER PEOPLE AS THEY BEGIN TO LOOK TO
THEIR FUTURE AND THINK IN NEW WAYS ABOUT
PREPARING FOR IT.
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[NARRATOR] WHAT HAPPENS TO SPECIFIC
INTELLECTUAL SKILLS AS WE AGE? HOW DO OUR
PERSONALITIES EVOLVE OVER TIME? AND WHICH
FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT IN PROMOTING AND
MAINTAINING GOOD MENTAL HEALTH? NEXT ON
GROWING OLD IN A NEW AGE.
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HOW DO BASIC INTELLECTUAL SKILLS -- USE OF
VOCABULARY, COMPUTATION, REASONING -- HOLD
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UP OVER A LIFETIME? DR. WARNER SCHAIE AND HIS
ASSOCIATE DR. SHERRY WILLIS HAVE BEEN
INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL
FUNCTIONING TO AGE BY FOLLOWING PEOPLE
THROUGHOUT ADULTHOOD IN THE SEATTLE
LONGITUDINAL STUDY. ABOUT 35 YEARS AGO NOW, I,
UH...GOT PUZZLED OVER THE QUESTION WHY IT WAS
THAT OLD PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WISE, YET
ON THE OTHER HAND, OLD PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED
TO LOSE THEIR MARBLES.
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SAY IF AN OLDER PERSON MAKES A MISTAKE, THEY
SAY HE'S SENILE.
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IF SOMEBODY 35, 40, OR 25 MAKES A MISTAKE, THEY
JUST MADE A MISTAKE.
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SO I THINK IT'S THE WRONG WAY TO LOOK AT IT.
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WELL, THERE ARE REALLY THREE TOPICS THAT WE,
UM, NEED TO TALK ABOUT.
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ONE IS THE QUESTION, IS THERE A DECLINE OF
MENTAL ABILITIES AS PEOPLE GET OLDER?
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SECONDLY, IS THIS A UNIFORM PHENOMENON?
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IN OTHER WORDS, DOES IT AFFECT ALL PEOPLE?
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DOES IT OCCUR EQUALLY FOR ALL MENTAL SKILLS?
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AND THIRDLY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS
THAT POSSIBLY EXPLAIN WHY SOME PEOPLE
DECLINE IN LATE MIDLIFE AND OTHERS STAY BRIGHT
AND CAPABLE TILL THE DAY THEY DIE IN ADVANCED
OLD AGE?
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DR. SCHAIE HAS SOME EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS
SOME DECLINE FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS. HOWEVER, IT
TYPICALLY DOESN'T BEGIN UNTIL THE 60s. THE
DECLINE DOESN'T OCCUR EQUALLY FOR ALL MENTAL
SKILLS. THERE ARE DIFFERENT PATTERNS. WE FIND
THAT THOSE ABILITIES USED THROUGHOUT LIFE -THE PEAK MAY BE REACHED IN LATE MIDDLE AGE.
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VERBAL SKILLS TEND TO IMPROVE FOR MOST
PEOPLE TILL THEY REACH AT LEAST THEIR 50s, AND
FOR SOME EVEN LATER.
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DECLINE ON THESE ABILITIES OCCURS VERY LATE IN
LIFE.
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I THINK I CAN READ BETTER.
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I THINK, UH...
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SOMETIMES I THINK YOU TEND TO READ -- YOU'RE
JUST READING WORDS.
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YOU DON'T READ WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
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I'VE LEARNED TO READ SLOWER AND THINK ABOUT
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
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IT'S MORE ENJOYABLE, AND YOU GET MORE OUT OF
IT.
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IT'S JUST ABOUT AS FAST.
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ALTHOUGH WITH THE NEWSPAPERS, I JUST SCAN
THOSE.
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I GO OVER THIS WAY. YOU KNOW, I SPEED-READ
THEM.
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IN THE SEATTLE STUDY, FIVE INTELLECTUAL
ABILITIES HAVE BEEN MONITORED OVER TIME.
RETURN IT TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE.
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PUT IT IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR FOLDER.
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THESE INCLUDE PASSIVE AND ACTIVE VOCABULARY,
NUMBER AND REASONING SKILLS, AND SPATIAL
ABILITIES. IT TURNS OUT THAT BY AGE 60, VIRTUALLY
EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDY PARTICIPANTS HAS
SHOWN SOME SIGNIFICANT DECLINE ON ONE OF
THOSE FIVE ABILITIES.
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HOWEVER, EVEN BY THE LATE 80s, WE HAVE NOT YET
FOUND ANY ONE OF OUR PARTICIPANTS WHO
DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY ON ALL FIVE ABILITIES.
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RUTH DOW HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE SEATTLE
LONGITUDINAL STUDY SINCE 1954. I WAS IN MY 40s
WHEN WE STARTED.
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IT'S BEEN INTERESTING TO ME.
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I THINK THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN IN IT.
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WE STARTED WITH A LARGE GROUP.
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I GUESS THERE AREN'T TOO MANY LEFT IN MY AGE
GROUP WHO ARE STILL DOING IT.
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I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO IT EACH TIME.
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I FEEL A LOT MORE SURE THAT I'M STILL AS SMART AS
I EVER WERE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE STUDIES
PROVED THAT.
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EACH TIME, THERE WOULD SEEM TO BE AN
INCREASE, WHICH I WOULD ALWAYS HOPE WOULD
COME WITH AGING AND WHICH I ALWAYS WAS
CULTURED TO BELIEVE WOULD NOT.
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YOU KNOW, UH...
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SEE, I'M ALMOST 80, AND WHEN I WAS LITTLE, AGING
WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN IT IS NOW.
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HEALTH AND ACTIVITY MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN
HOW LONG ABILITIES CAN BE MAINTAINED.
CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE
PEOPLE WITH HEART DISEASE TEND TO DECLINE
MENTALLY EARLIER. ACTIVITY LEVEL IS EQUALLY
IMPORTANT. [DR. SCHAIE] IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT
PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH THEIR WORLD,
WHO ARE PARTICIPANTS RATHER THAN
SPECTATORS, ARE ADVANTAGED.
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PEOPLE WHO ARE HIGHLY ACTIVE TEND TO DECLINE
LATER, IF AT ALL.
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PEOPLE WHO ARE COUCH POTATOES TYPICALLY GO
DOWN FIRST.
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BEING 73 YEARS OLD, 74, WHATEVER, YOU DON'T
WANT TO JUST SAY, "I'M OLD ENOUGH NOW. I'VE SEEN
WHATEVER I WANT.
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I'M JUST GOING TO SIT DOWN, TAKE IT EASY." DO
THINGS.
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EVEN IF IT'S GOING TO A BALL GAME WITH YOUR
GRANDSON.
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JUST DON'T SIT AND DO NOTHING ALL DAY LONG.
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DON'T SIT DOWN AND WATCH TV ALL DAY, EITHER.
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BUT GET INTERESTED IN SOMETHING.
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EVERYBODY SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN SOME
THING.
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IN MY CASE, IT HAPPENS TO BE THE CIVIL WAR -- THE
BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG -- SINCE I GREW UP HERE.
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I'M GLAD FOR THAT.
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AS I SAID, THE MORE YOU READ, I THINK YOU KEEP
YOUR MIND FROM GETTING LAZY, SO TO SPEAK.
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YOU'RE A LITTLE SHARPER WHEN YOU READ
SOMETHING.
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IF YOU DON'T READ, I THINK YOU'LL GET THAT WAY.
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WE ALSO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT PERSONALITY
CHARACTERISTICS.
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IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE OPEN TO
NEW EXPERIENCES, FLEXIBLE PEOPLE, TEND TO
FARE MUCH BETTER AS THEY GET OLDER THAN
PEOPLE WHO ARE RIGID AND HAVE TO HAVE
EVERYTHING THEIR OWN WAY.
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ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT OLD AGE IS
THAT THINGS DON'T BECOME SIMPLER.
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THEY BECOME MORE COMPLICATED.
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INDIVIDUALS COMFORTABLE ROLLING WITH THE
PUNCHES TEND TO BE THE ONES THAT WEATHER IT
BEST AND MAINTAIN THEIR ABILITIES.
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THERE ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT GENDER
DIFFERENCES. MEN SEEM TO DO BETTER THAN
WOMEN ON SPATIAL AND NUMBER SKILLS. WOMEN
DO BETTER WITH VERBAL AND REASONING SKILLS.
RESEARCHERS THOUGHT SPATIAL ABILITY WAS
GENETICALLY BASED, BUT NEW STUDIES SHOW THAT
THOSE ABILITIES ARE MORE RELATED TO
EXPERIENCE THAN GENDER. EVEN AT ADVANCED
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AGES, TRAINING IN SPATIAL SKILLS CAN REDUCE THE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN. SPECIFIC
INTELLECTUAL ABILITIES SUCH AS REASONING OR
THE SPATIAL ORIENTATION SKILLS NECESSARY TO
READ MAPS ARE BASIC TO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES. WE
FIRST BEGAN OUR TRAINING BACK IN THE SEVENTIES.
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IT IS QUESTIONABLE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE WAY
WE ASSESS MENTAL ABILITIES ARE THE WAY PEOPLE
USE THEM IN THEIR DAILY LIVES.
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SO WE DECIDED NOT TO USE THE WORD
"INTELLIGENCE," BUT TO USE "PROBLEM SOLVING."
WHEN MY TRAINER RECRUITED PEOPLE FOR
TRAINING, SHE'D SAY, "WE'LL HELP YOU WITH
PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITIES." AND ONE LOVELY
LADY SAID TO US, "NOW, DEAR, LET'S GET THIS
STRAIGHT.
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IS IT YOUR PROBLEM OR MY PROBLEM WE'RE GOING
TO SOLVE?" I HAD TO ADMIT IT WAS OUR PROBLEM,
NOT THEIR PROBLEM.
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BUT THIS EXAMPLE HAS ALWAYS STUCK WITH ME.
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AND SO, WE'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT SOME OF
THE ABILITIES OR MANY OF THE ABILITIES THAT WE
STUDIED -- SUCH AS SPATIAL ORIENTATION,
INDUCTIVE REASONING -- ARE RELATED TO
ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING.
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LONGITUDINAL DATA FROM THE SEATTLE STUDY
ALLOWED DR. WILLIS TO CLASSIFY PEOPLE'S
REASONING AND SPATIAL ABILITIES OVER A 14-YEAR
PERIOD. SHE WONDERED WHETHER THOSE WHO
DECLINED COULD BE TRAINED TO REGAIN SKILLS
THEY HAD WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER. [DR. WILLIS]
THE TRAINING IN THE SEATTLE STUDY WAS DONE IN
THE HOMES OF THE ELDERLY.
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THESE PEOPLE LIVE IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.
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THEY LIVE IN A LARGE, METROPOLITAN AREA.
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THE MOST PRACTICAL THING WAS TO GO TO THEIR
HOMES.
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THEY WERE TRAINED IN FIVE ONE-HOUR TRAINING
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SESSIONS.
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IT WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY.
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WE WANTED TO SEE IF WITH THIS BRIEF
INTERVENTION THERE COULD BE CHANGES IN
INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING ON THE SPECIFIC
ABILITIES WE WERE INTERESTED IN.
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THE TRAINING INCLUDED PRACTICE IN REASONING
SKILLS AND IN MENTALLY ROTATING OBJECTS. DR.
WILLIS FOUND THAT WITH TRAINING, 60% OF THOSE
WHO HAD DECLINED IMPROVED THEIR SKILL
SIGNIFICANTLY. ABOUT 40% WERE ABLE TO REGAIN
SKILL LEVELS THEY ENJOYED 14 YEARS EARLIER. IT
SUGGESTS TO US THAT, AT LEAST FOR SOME OLDER
ADULTS, UM...DECLINE IN FUNCTIONING IS
REMEDIABLE THROUGH BRIEF EDUCATIONAL OR
OTHER KINDS OF INTELLECTUALLY STIMULATING
ACTIVITIES.
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IT SUGGESTS TO US THE OLD "USE IT OR LOSE IT"
PHENOMENA.
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RETIRED ARCHITECTS WERE ACUTELY AWARE OF
"USE IT OR LOSE IT." THEY HAVEN'T LOOKED AT A
BLUEPRINT.
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THEY DRIVE BY MEMORY BECAUSE THEY GO TO THE
SAME PLACES.
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THERE'S NO REASON FOR THEM TO USE THEIR
SPATIAL ABILITIES.
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WHEN YOU START TRAINING THEM, THEY'RE SLOPPY
AT FIRST.
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THEY GET SHOCKED AT THESE SIMPLE TASKS THEY
CAN'T DO.
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THEN THEY GET WITH IT. YOU SEE THEM IMPROVING.
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THE ABILITY WASN'T LOST. IT JUST GOT RUSTY.
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TRAINING HAS PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS. RENEWED
SPATIAL ORIENTATION SKILLS MAY BE VITAL TO
WIDOWS WHO DEPENDED ON THEIR HUSBANDS TO
DRIVE. THEY NOW ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE.
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THEY HAVEN'T PRACTICED THE SKILLS NECESSARY
TO GET FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER, TO READ
MAPS AND THE KIND OF THINGS NECESSARY TO BE
FREELY MOBILE.
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TRAINING WOULD BE QUITE HELPFUL.
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INDEED, IT'S BEEN SHOWN THAT VERY SHORT
PROGRAMS OF EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION CAN BE
QUITE EFFECTIVE.
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INTELLECTUAL SKILLS IN ADULTS CAN BE STUDIED BY
EXAMINING AGE CHANGES WITHIN INDIVIDUALS AS
THEY GROW OLDER AND AGE DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN DIFFERENT GENERATIONS. ONE QUESTION
THAT OFTEN COMES UP IS, "WHAT IS MEANT BY AGE
DIFFERENCES AND AGE CHANGES?" AGE CHANGES
REFER TO THE CHANGES THAT OCCUR WITHIN AN
INDIVIDUAL.
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IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING AN INDIVIDUAL OVER TIME,
WHAT WOULD YOU SEE AS THE CHANGES IN THAT
INDIVIDUAL?
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IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT AGE DIFFERENCES, IT MEANS
SAMPLING A GROUP OF 25-YEAR-OLDS TODAY, 55YEAR-OLDS, 75-YEAR-OLDS, AND LOOKING AT THE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE AGE GROUPS.
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SOMETIMES WE MAKE THE MISTAKE OF REGARDING
THOSE AGE DIFFERENCES AS EQUAL TO AGE
CHANGES.
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THEY AREN'T NECESSARILY.
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SOME OF THESE OLD PEOPLE MAY HAVE
EXPERIENCED DIFFERENT CONDITIONS EARLIER IN
LIFE.
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MEN AND WOMEN THAT WENT THROUGH THE WAR IN
EUROPE MARCH FORWARD WITH THOSE
EXPERIENCES THAT MAKES THEM DIFFERENT
BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCES.
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AND THEN IF YOU ARRIVE AT AGE 75 AND COMPARE
THEM WITH 25-YEAR-OLDS, IT ISN'T NECESSARILY
THAT THEY'RE OLDER, IT'S JUST THAT THEY HAD
THOSE DIFFERENT HISTORICAL EXPERIENCES, AND
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SOMETIMES THOSE ARE VERY POWERFUL.
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[DR. SCHAIE] NUMERICAL SKILLS REACHED A PEAK
FOR THE COHORT BORN IN THE 1920s AND HAS BEEN
DECLINING EVER SINCE.
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WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S THE INTRODUCTION
OF CHEAP CALCULATORS, BUT IN ANY EVENT, YOU'LL
FIND THAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE THE AVERAGE OLDER
PERSON DOES A LOT BETTER THAN YOUNGER
INDIVIDUALS ON ADDING NUMBERS.
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THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOUR SKILLS IN ADDING
NUMBERS INCREASES AS YOU GET OLDER, BUT
SIMPLY THAT YOU HAVE A YOUNGER COHORT WHO
DOES LESS WELL THAN THE OLDER COHORT.
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WE FIND FREQUENTLY THAT THE AGE EFFECTS ARE
ACTUALLY SMALLER THAN THE COHORT EFFECTS.
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COHORT IS A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR IN AGING
RESEARCH.
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AND REALLY WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT, THE CONTEXT
IN WHICH WE GROW OLDER IS PROBABLY A VERY
IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING HOW WE AGE -OUR ABILITIES, OUR PERSONALITY, OUR QUALITY OF
LIFE.
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WHAT IS THE NATURE OF PERSONALITY? DOES IT
CHANGE AS WE GROW OLDER? IT'S HARD TO THINK
OF A SINGLE DEFINITION OF PERSONALITY.
PERSONALITY FOCUSES ON TRAITS AND THE
ENDURING CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKE EACH
PERSON UNIQUE. DR. PAUL COSTA HAS BEEN
STUDYING PERSONALITY AND AGING FOR MANY
YEARS. [DR. PAUL COSTA] AS WE FOLLOW
INDIVIDUALS OVER 6, 12, 18, AND EVEN 25 YEARS OF
THEIR LIFE SPAN, THERE'S A PRETTY REMARKABLE
SET OF FINDINGS -- THAT AGE, PER SE, DOES NOT
USHER IN ANY SET OF CHANGES.
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SO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS ACTIVE AND ALERT AND
BUBBLY AND ENTHUSIASTIC AND WARM AND
OUTGOING WITH OTHER PEOPLE STAYS THAT WAY AS
THEY TRAVERSE THEIR 50s AND 60s AND 70s AND 80s.
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AND BARRING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MAJOR
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DISEASE, PARTICULARLY THE DEMENTING DISORDER
-- SOMETHING LIKE ALZHEIMER'S OR HUNTINGTON'S -THEIR PERSONALITY DOESN'T CHANGE AT ALL.
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PERSONALITY IS QUITE STABLE.
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I HAPPEN TO BE AN INDEPENDENT PERSON.
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SO I LIKE TO TRY TO DO EVERYTHING FOR MYSELF,
WHICH IS POSSIBLE, BUT SOMETIMES IT CAN'T BE
DONE BECAUSE, WELL...
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SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT CAPABLE OF DOING IT.
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BUT IF YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN INDEPENDENT
PERSON, BECAUSE YOU'RE OLD DOESN'T MEAN
YOU'LL STOP BEING INDEPENDENT.
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IF YOU'RE ILL, YOU TRY TO MAINTAIN YOUR
INDEPENDENCE.
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I THINK IT HELPS YOU.
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OTHERWISE, YOU'LL JUST LAY DOWN AND DIE.
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AS YET, NO ONE KNOWS WHAT FACTORS ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR PERSONALITY STABILITY. [DR.
COSTA] OUR LONGITUDINAL DATA DON'T GIVE US ANY
CLUE AS TO THE CAUSES.
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IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IT'S GENETIC.
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WHETHER OR NOT THEY ATTEMPT TO MAKE
CHANGES IN WHO THEY ARE, WHAT THEY ARE, IS
POWERFULLY INFLUENCED BY THEIR ENVIRONMENT,
THEIR OPPORTUNITIES, THEIR ROLE MODELS.
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ALTHOUGH PERSONALITY TRAITS AND STYLES TEND
TO BE CONSTANT OVER THE LIFE SPAN, CHANGE IS
POSSIBLE. IF YOU'RE EMOTIONALLY, UH...
MALADJUSTED, EASILY UPSET, AND UNHAPPY AND
YOU'RE 30 OR 35, YOU'RE GOING TO STAY THAT WAY.
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YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MELLOW OUT.
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YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET BETTER.
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THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT PERSONALITY IS FIXED AND
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SET IN PLASTER AND CAN'T BE CHANGED.
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PERSONALITY CAN BE CHANGED.
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IF YOU'RE UNHAPPY WITH YOUR PERSONALITY, YOU
CAN SEEK WAYS...
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EFFECTIVE THERAPY, COUNSELING.
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WORK ON IT TO CHANGE IT.
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I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL CHANGE FROM THE
PESSIMISTIC VIEW THAT WHAT YOU GOT YOU'RE
STUCK WITH.
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BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE REALISTIC
EXPECTATIONS FOR WHAT CAN HAPPEN.
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BUT IF YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE, BE OPTIMISTIC.
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TRY CHANGING IT, AND YOU MAY SUCCEED.
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DR. GENE COHEN DESCRIBES THE RESPONSES OF
OLDER ADULTS WHO SOUGHT COUNSELING AFTER
THAT SERVICE BECAME AVAILABLE IN THEIR
APARTMENT COMPLEX. WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE
INTERESTING OTHER SIDE OF NEGATIVE
STEREOTYPES ABOUT AGING.
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SO MANY OLDER PEOPLE THEMSELVES HAVE SUCH
LOW EXPECTATION ABOUT WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN
DIFFERENT INTERVENTIONS OR GROWTH
EXPERIENCES THAT EVEN A LITTLE PROGRESS WAS
SO SAVORED, THEY WERE JUST, IN MANY WAYS,
TREMENDOUSLY APPRECIATIVE AND GRATIFIED OF
THE PROGRESS THAT THEY MADE.
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AND SO THE IRONY WAS THAT OLDER PATIENTS ARE
SOME OF THE MOST RESPONSIVE AND SATISFIED OF
ALL THE PATIENTS.
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THEY SURPRISED THEMSELVES, AND THEY
TYPICALLY SURPRISE THE INEXPERIENCED CLINICIAN
WHO HAS NOT WORKED WITH OLDER ADULTS.
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IT'S ANOTHER SERIES OF MYTHS THAT JUST WERE
SMASHED.
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MARY SUE WONSON IS WORKING ON BECOMING
MORE ASSERTIVE. [MARY SUE WONSON] IN MY CASE,
I'VE NEVER FELT I WAS IN CONTROL.
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I'VE ALWAYS DONE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WANTED
ME TO DO.
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I'VE BEEN FRUSTRATED A LOT.
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I LIKE PEOPLE SO MUCH THAT I WANT TO PLEASE
THEM RATHER THAN MYSELF.
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TO DO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IN A SITUATION SEEMED
SELFISH.
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BY NATURE, I'M NOT A SELFISH PERSON.
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MY DOCTOR TOLD ME IT ISN'T SELFISH, IT'S
SENSIBLE...
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TO THINK OF YOURSELF.
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IT'S GETTING BETTER.
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AT TIMES, I CAN SAY NO, AND THAT'S REMARKABLE.
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AND NOW THAT I HAVE ROGER HOME ALL THE TIME, I
HAVE HIM AS A SUPPORT.
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HE CAN ANSWER THE PHONE AND SAY NO FOR ME.
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DAVID REESE HAS DISCOVERED THAT AGE HAS
OFFERED HIM OBJECTIVITY AND A NEW TOLERANCE
OF OTHERS. [DAVID REESE] MY WORK IN THIS STATE
OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS HAS INVOLVED ME WITH
GROUPS OF PEOPLE OF ALL RACES, ALL LEVELS OF
EDUCATION.
151 01:19:18:23
YOU LEARN TO TAKE AN OBJECTIVE STANCE ON
PRACTICALLY ANYTHING THAT COMES UP IN LIFE.
152 01:19:24:23
I DO THAT WITH THE PROBLEMS OF -- INTERNATIONAL
PROBLEMS TODAY.
153 01:19:29:07
I THINK I'M A LITTLE BIT MORE OBJECTIVE IN MY
ANALYSIS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN VARIOUS PARTS
OF THE WORLD.
154 01:19:37:08
I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE
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THE SAME KINDS OF JUDGMENT WHEN I WAS 25 AND
30 YEARS OF AGE.
155 01:19:46:22
YOUR EXPERIENCES ACTUALLY BUILD UP IN YOU A
TOLERANCE FOR THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM
YOU.
156 01:19:53:12
RUTH DOW DISCOVERED NEW CONFIDENCE AFTER
SHE WAS WIDOWED. AT FIRST YOU THINK, "HOW WILL
I EVER COPE?" THEN GRADUALLY, AS YOU FIND -- THE
FIRST TIME I DID MY OWN INCOME TAX REPORT BY
MYSELF, THAT WAS A BIG EXPERIENCE.
157 01:20:10:09
AND, UH...YOU JUST...
158 01:20:12:17
YOU JUST GAIN SO MUCH CONFIDENCE AS YOU GO
ON.
159 01:20:16:23
VI SMITH LEARNED TO BE MORE ASSERTIVE AND
INDEPENDENT AFTER WIDOWHOOD. I NEVER USED TO
DRIVE THE WAY I DO NOW.
160 01:20:25:10
I WAS ALWAYS THE PASSENGER IN THE CAR.
161 01:20:28:09
EVEN THOUGH I DROVE -- BUT I JUST DROVE, YOU
KNOW, TO SHORT DISTANCES AND BACK.
162 01:20:34:08
NOW I DRIVE EXPRESSWAYS, AND I DROVE TO AN
ELDERHOSTEL DOWN IN KENTUCKY.
163 01:20:39:09
AND THEY HAD ROUTED ME THROUGH THE
MOUNTAINS.
164 01:20:42:09
AND SHE HAD TOLD ME IT WAS TWO-LANE HIGHWAYS.
165 01:20:46:09
I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS ONE LANE GOING ONE WAY
AND ONE COMING THE OTHER AND THAT I WOULD BE
GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES, BUT I DID IT.
166 01:20:57:09
WHILE I WOULDN'T WANT TO DO IT AGAIN, I FOUND
OUT THAT I COULD DO IT.
167 01:21:03:09
IF YOU JUST TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME, YOU DO
GROW, AND YOU DO CHANGE.
168 01:21:09:25
YOU LEARN TO DEPEND ON YOURSELF.
169 01:21:12:09
I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'VE LEARNED TO DO...
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170 01:21:15:11
IS THAT I CAN DO IT AND THAT I CAN DEPEND ON
MYSELF.
171 01:21:21:02
CREATIVITY AND SPIRITUALITY MAY EVOLVE IN NEW
WAYS WHEN THERE ARE FEWER PRESSURES FROM
WORK. I'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY,
AND I HAVE MY OWN DARKROOM DOWNSTAIRS, AND
SO I CAN DO SOME CREATIVE THINGS DOWN THERE.
172 01:21:37:02
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK I THINK IN A
COMPLEMENTARY ARRANGEMENT IN THAT MARY SUE
LIKES TO WRITE, AND I LIKE TO TAKE THE PICTURES.
173 01:21:51:02
SO, IN THAT WAY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE SOME
FUN PRODUCING SOME ARTICLES WHERE I'LL DO THE
PHOTOGRAPHY AND MARY SUE WILL DO THE
WRITING.
174 01:22:01:18
I WAS A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN IN A CHURCH -PLAYED THE ORGAN, DIRECTED MULTIPLE CHOIR
PROGRAMS, THAT KIND OF THING.
175 01:22:09:02
ALWAYS ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH AND DID A LOT OF
CREATIVE WORK EXPLORING MEDIEVAL MUSIC,
MEDIEVAL DRAMA, AND COMBINING THAT WITH
MUSIC.
176 01:22:18:02
SO IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A, UM...
177 01:22:21:18
MATTER OF REAL INTEREST AND PURSUIT OF NEW
AREAS.
178 01:22:26:17
AND, UH...
179 01:22:28:14
NOW IT'S NO LONGER A PROFESSIONAL THING, AND I
HAVEN'T DONE A GREAT DEAL RECENTLY BECAUSE
OF MY HEALTH, BUT, UH...
180 01:22:43:16
I ENJOY MUSIC INTENSELY.
181 01:22:45:16
I DON'T DO A LOT OF LISTENING. I'D MUCH RATHER
PERFORM.
182 01:22:50:06
MY CONCEPT OF SPIRITUALITY IN MY YOUNGER
YEARS WAS INTENSE, BUT KIND OF ENCLOSED.
183 01:22:57:02
AND NOW THOSE BARRIERS ARE GONE, AND I SEE
EVERYTHING AS SPIRITUAL -- ALL OF MY
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RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE, MY
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PHYSICAL WORLD.
184 01:23:08:02
I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED NATURE A GREAT DEAL, BUT
NOW IT'S A PART OF MYSELF IN A WAY IT HAD NEVER
BEEN BEFORE.
185 01:23:17:17
SO MY SPIRITUALITY HAS GROWN.
186 01:23:19:17
IN FACT, WITH MANY OF THE MEN I TALK WITH, THAT'S
AN AREA OF OUR EXPLORATION RIGHT NOW -- IS THE
SPIRITUALITY OF OURSELVES AS BEING IN A
RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PEOPLE.
187 01:23:33:17
ANOTHER ASPECT OF PERSONALITY IS WISDOM.
DOES WISDOM DEVELOP AS WE MATURE? WHAT IS
WISDOM?
188 01:23:42:01
IT TENDS TO BE LINKED WITH AGE.
189 01:23:44:04
IT WAS A TOPIC THAT WAS RATHER UNDEVELOPED IN
PSYCHOLOGY.
190 01:23:48:04
IN FACT, I LOOKED A FEW YEARS AGO AT THE
LITERATURE, AND I COULDN'T EVEN FIND ANY
TEXTBOOK IN PSYCHOLOGY THAT HAD THE WORD
WISDOM IN THE INDEX.
191 01:23:59:04
SO IT'S AN UNKNOWN AREA.
192 01:24:01:07
IT LOOKS LIKE WISDOM IS A COMPLEX TRAIT.
193 01:24:04:04
IT'S NOT A SIMPLE TRAIT.
194 01:24:06:04
YOU HAVE TO HAVE EXPERIENCE.
195 01:24:08:03
BY AND LARGE, YOU NEED TO WAIT UNTIL YOU GET
ENOUGH EXPERIENCE, AND YOU NEED SOME TIME TO
MATURE.
196 01:24:16:17
THE OTHER ASPECT IS THE EMOTIONAL TONING OF
LIFE.
197 01:24:20:03
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MORE REFLECTIVE QUALITY TO
WANT TO SPEND TIME REVIEWING WHAT'S IN THE
LONG-TERM STORE.
198 01:24:28:02
THAT'S THE STRATEGY ASPECT OF IT.
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199 01:24:30:17
AND THEN THERE IS THE EMOTIONAL LINKAGE TO
THESE THINGS THAT -- FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CANNOT
DEFINE WISDOM AS SOLELY A PROCESS OF
KNOWLEDGE OR KNOWING.
200 01:24:43:17
ONE HAS TO HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A MORE
DETACHED VIEW, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR
EMOTIONS UNDER CONTROL.
201 01:24:51:18
THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE
LESS OFTEN WISE.
202 01:24:57:18
IT ISN'T THAT THEY DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY'RE
IMPULSIVE, AND THEY HAVE YET TO MASTER THEIR
EMOTIONS, AND, UH...
203 01:25:09:02
SO THAT IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE, UH...
204 01:25:12:03
WISDOM WAS LATE IN DEVELOPING AS A SUBJECT
MATTER FOR RESEARCH BECAUSE IT WAS SO
COMPLEX AND IS SO COMPLEX.
205 01:25:21:25
RESEARCH MAY EVENTUALLY HELP US UNDERSTAND
MORE ABOUT HOW PERSONALITY RELATES TO
SUCCESSFUL AGING. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE
INFLUENCE -- THE RECIPROCAL INFLUENCE, IF YOU
WILL -- BETWEEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF AN
INDIVIDUAL'S LIFE AND THE DISPOSITION, THE
PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS THEY BRING, AND
HOW THAT PLAYS OUT OVER THE LIFE CYCLE.
206 01:25:43:03
ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS WHERE, UM...
207 01:25:46:02
EVERYONE'S INTERESTED IN NOW IS SUCCESSFUL
AGING.
208 01:25:49:03
WHAT ARE THE SECRETS OF LEADING A HEALTHY,
HAPPY, PRODUCTIVE LIFE?
209 01:25:54:02
OF COURSE, THAT'S DEFINED DIFFERENTLY.
210 01:25:56:01
FOR SOME PEOPLE, JUST TO MAKE IT TO THE 90s IS,
BY DEFINITION, SUCCESSFUL AGING.
211 01:26:02:03
BUT TO HAVE LIVED FOR NINE DECADES A LIFE FULL
OF DISTRESS AND DISAPPOINTMENT IS NOT
NECESSARILY SUCCESSFUL.
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212 01:26:10:03
I'D LOVE TO HAVE THE SECRETS TO KNOW WHAT
KINDS OF CHANGES OR INTERVENTIONS DO WE NEED
TO DO FOR WHAT KINDS OF PEOPLE WHEN AND
UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS THAT WILL ALLOW THEM
TO LEAD THE LIVES THEY WANT?
213 01:26:25:18
I'D LIKE INDIVIDUALS TO REACH THEIR OWN GOALS,
SELF-ACTUALIZE, IF YOU WILL.
214 01:26:30:17
VIRGINIA TEMPLETON ADMITS SHE'S A
PERFECTIONIST. BUT AS SHE'S AGED, HER
APPROACH TO LIFE HAS BECOME MORE RELAXED. I
USED TO FEEL OR TO WANT TO BE, THAT I HAD TO BE
ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE.
215 01:26:45:17
THAT I HAD TO BE...
216 01:26:47:17
THE PERFECT WIFE, THE PERFECT BUSINESS
PARTNER, THE PERFECT MOTHER, THE PERFECT,
UH...
217 01:26:56:02
CHURCH WORKER.
218 01:26:57:17
THAT I HAD TO DO ALL OF THESE THINGS, AND I
COULDN'T JUST DO THEM IN A SUPERFICIAL MANNER.
219 01:27:05:02
THEY ALL HAD TO BE DONE WELL AND WITH A
DEGREE OF PERFECTION THAT WAS...
220 01:27:14:03
DIDN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE, BUT THAT THIS IS WHAT
I MUST TRY TO DO.
221 01:27:20:17
AND THAT WASN'T GOOD BECAUSE IT WAS
OBVIOUSLY AN IMPOSSIBILITY.
222 01:27:25:11
IT'S -- OBVIOUSLY.
223 01:27:27:11
IT CAN BE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE WHEN YOU FAIL IN
SOMETHING YOU'VE SET YOUR MIND TO DO AND THAT
YOU FEEL YOU MUST DO AND YOU'VE FALLEN SHORT.
224 01:27:38:10
I'M STILL COPING WITH THIS IN A WAY BECAUSE THE
LIST OF THINGS I WANT TO GET DONE IN A DAY
ALWAYS ENDS UP BEING TWICE AS MUCH AS I CAN
DO, I DON'T FEEL SO BAD NOW.
225 01:27:53:01
I THINK I'M A MORE RELAXED AND NICER PERSON TO
BE AROUND.
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226 01:27:58:03
IT'S ALSO MADE ME A LITTLE MORE FORGIVING WHEN
SOMEONE ELSE DOES NOT KEEP A PROMISE OR
FULFILL A COMMITMENT.
227 01:28:05:20
I STILL GET A LITTLE BIT TICKED WHEN IT CAUSES ME
PROBLEMS, BUT I THINK IT'S BEEN A GROWING
PROCESS, AND I HOPE IT WILL CONTINUE.
228 01:28:16:02
MANY YOUNGER PEOPLE THINK OLD AGE IS A
DEPRESSING PERIOD AND ASSUME THAT THE
ELDERLY WILL BE DEPRESSED AND DISSATISFIED
WITH LIFE. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THIS DOES NOT
SEEM TO BE THE CASE. DR. STEVEN ZARIT EXPLAINS.
THE PROSPECTS FOR GOOD MENTAL HEALTH ARE
QUITE GOOD FOR MOST PEOPLE.
229 01:28:36:03
SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN IN GOOD MENTAL HEALTH ALL
HIS OR HER LIFE CAN EXPECT THAT THAT WILL
CONTINUE UNDER MOST CIRCUMSTANCES.
230 01:28:45:17
THERE ARE RISKS OF CERTAIN KINDS OF DISORDERS
IN LATER LIFE, BUT THE MAJORITY OF OLDER PEOPLE
AT ANY AGE -- IF WE WANTED TO TAKE 65 OR 75 OR
EVEN 85 -- THE MAJORITY ARE IN GOOD MENTAL
HEALTH.
231 01:29:01:04
MOST PEOPLE HAVE EVEN SURVIVED THE SUPPOSED
MIDLIFE CRISIS WHICH HAS GRABBED SO MUCH
ATTENTION. IT'S A POPULAR THING THAT'LL NEVER
GO AWAY, THE MIDLIFE CRISIS.
232 01:29:12:04
SOME PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE THE SPICE OF A
MIDLIFE CRISIS.
233 01:29:16:19
THEY PERHAPS NEED THE EXCUSE, "IT'S NOT ME.
234 01:29:19:19
"THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT.
235 01:29:22:04
IT'S AN INEVITABLE CRISIS." FACT OF THE MATTER IS,
A SMALL MINORITY OF PEOPLE, 5% TO 7% ONLY,
EXPERIENCE A CRISIS AT ANY TIME AT ANY AGE IN
THE ADULT LIFE CYCLE.
236 01:29:34:27
85% OF PEOPLE ARE NOT IN ANY CRISIS.
237 01:29:38:02
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT INDIVIDUALS FROM THE 20s
TO THE 60s AND TRY AND FIND A PEAK EMOTIONAL
CRISIS AROUND MIDLIFE, YOU DON'T FIND IT.
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238 01:29:49:18
BEN TAMASHIRO AVOIDED A MIDLIFE CRISIS IN HIS
MARRIAGE BY EXAMINING HIS VALUES. [BEN
TAMASHIRO] YOU READ SO MUCH ABOUT MEN AS
THEY GO THROUGH THE MIDDLE AGE, YOU KNOW?
239 01:30:04:03
THEY BEGIN TO WANDER FROM THE NEST AT HOME
AND THINK THAT IN TERMS OF REJUVENATION, YOU
KNOW -- SEXUALLY, WHATEVER IT IS -- "OH, BOY.
240 01:30:16:06
"I THINK I'M GOING TO TRY THAT BEAUTIFUL LOOKING
GAL OUT THERE." SHE MIGHT BE 20 YEARS YOUNGER
THAN YOU ARE.
241 01:30:24:22
THERE'S SO MUCH OF THIS KIND OF THING, OF MEN
PASSING THROUGH THAT MIDDLE STAGE OF LIFE.
242 01:30:31:07
I'VE OFTEN WONDERED ABOUT IT MYSELF ON THAT
QUESTION.
243 01:30:35:05
BUT I GUESS, IN THE END, THROUGH CHRISTIAN
ETHICS OR WHATEVER IT IS, YOU PUT THOSE THINGS
ASIDE, AND YOU LOOK AT YOUR OWN WIFE AND SAY,
"MY GOLLY, I GUESS THIS IS THE BEST OF THE LOT."
ALTHOUGH THERE'S GREAT VARIABILITY AMONG
OLDER PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES,
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES SUGGEST THEY'RE, ON
AVERAGE, CONTENT WITH LIFE. THERE IS AN
EXCELLENT STUDY PUBLISHED BY TWO CANADIANS
IN COLLABORATION WITH A JAPANESE GROUP, AND
THEY DID A SURVEY IN 13 COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD
WHERE THERE ARE GALLUP POLL ORGANIZATIONS.
244 01:31:13:03
THEY HAD 1,000 PEOPLE IN EACH COUNTRY, 500 MEN
AND WOMEN.
245 01:31:17:17
IN EVERY ONE OF THE COUNTRIES, OLDER PEOPLE
WERE MORE CONTENT WITH THE CIRCUMSTANCES
OF THEIR LIFE THAN WERE YOUNG PEOPLE JUST
STARTING OUT.
246 01:31:26:28
NOW, THAT'S NOT ANTICIPATED BY YOUNGER
PERSONS.
247 01:31:30:18
THEY PROJECT THEIR DISCONTENTS FORWARD ONTO
THE OLDER POPULATION, AND THEY EXPECT THAT
THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE ARE MORE ADVERSE.
248 01:31:40:03
BUT IN FACT, OLDER PEOPLE HAVE COME TO TERMS
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WITH THAT, AND THAT'S OVERLOOKED A GREAT DEAL.
249 01:31:47:07
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME VERY RECENT STUDIES
THAT HAVE LOOKED AT PEOPLE AT VERY ADVANCED
AGES, INCLUDING 90-YEAR-OLDS -- A STUDY IN GREAT
BRITAIN.
250 01:31:57:16
THE FINDINGS STUNNED, IN A POSITIVE SENSE, MANY
PEOPLE.
251 01:32:00:20
THEY FOUND THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE
INDIVIDUALS WERE RELATIVELY WORRY-FREE.
252 01:32:06:03
THEY HAD A VERY HIGH SENSE OF MORALE AND
WELL-BEING, RATHER THAN WHAT MANY PEOPLE
THOUGHT WOULD BE A MORBID ORIENTATION.
253 01:32:15:02
AND INDEED, DIFFERENT NATIONAL SURVEYS THAT
HAVE BEEN DONE FIND THAT A SENSE OF WELLBEING, OF MORALE...
254 01:32:22:02
LEVELS OF DEPRESSION ARE VERY SIMILAR IN LATER
LIFE AS THEY ARE IN EARLIER PARTS OF THE LIFE
CYCLE.
255 01:32:30:17
A VERY DIFFERENT PICTURE THAN WHAT MANY
PEOPLE EXPECT.
256 01:32:35:03
AND AGAIN, THE BIG FACTOR THAT ALTERS THOSE
THINGS IS NOT AGING, PER SE, BUT A NUMBER OF
ILLNESSES THAT ALTER THE EXPERIENCE OF AGING.
257 01:32:45:01
AND AGAIN, INCREASINGLY, MORE AND MORE OF
THESE ILLNESSES ARE MODIFIABLE.
258 01:32:50:03
TWO DECADES OF RESEARCH ON THE HAPPINESS
AND LIFE SATISFACTION OF OLDER PEOPLE POINT TO
THE SAME CONCLUSION -- DESPITE SERIOUS
PROBLEMS, OLD AGE CAN BE A SATISFYING TIME OF
LIFE. I FEEL FINE. I LIKE GETTING UP EARLY.
259 01:33:06:02
NOW I LIKE SLEEPING IN BECAUSE IT'S SO COLD.
260 01:33:09:13
ALTHOUGH WHEN WINTERTIME COMES, I GO ICE
FISHING.
261 01:33:12:18
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS.
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262 01:33:16:03
YOU CHOP A HOLE IN THE ICE, PUT A TRAP DOWN.
263 01:33:20:17
WHEN IT FLIES IN THE AIR, THERE'S A FISH ON IT.
264 01:33:25:03
THAT'S ANOTHER THING.
265 01:33:26:16
I LIKE THE REC ROOM.
266 01:33:29:29
I LIKE TO PLAY CARDS. MY WIFE DOESN'T.
267 01:33:33:02
[DORIS BIRCHANDER] WE KEEP BUSY DIFFERENT
WAYS.
268 01:33:35:28
HE'S HAPPY REALLY BEING HOME.
269 01:33:38:15
I'VE HAD TO FIND MY WAY OUT.
270 01:33:41:18
ONCE HE GOT INTO MY KITCHEN AND STARTED
COOKING -- THAT'S ANOTHER THING HE DOES VERY
WELL -- I DECIDED THAT I WAS A MISPLACED
HOMEMAKER, AND I HAD TO DO SOMETHING OUT OF
THE HOUSE.
271 01:33:55:02
WHAT FACTORS AFFECT THE OUTLOOK OF OLDER
ADULTS? I THINK, FOR ME, IT'S THE, UM...
272 01:34:01:05
TO HAVE A POSITIVE OUTLOOK IS TO BE ABLE TO
LAUGH...
273 01:34:06:03
AND NOT ONLY AT OTHERS, BUT AT OURSELVES.
274 01:34:11:02
[ROGER WONSON] PEOPLE WHO ARE RETIRED, THAT
CREATIVITY DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN HOBBIES IN
THE SENSE THAT -- LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I
LIKE TO DO IS PLAY THE SAXOPHONE.
275 01:34:25:27
WE HAVE AN ORCHESTRA, AND WE PLAY FOR THE
RETIREMENT HOMES AND THAT SORT OF THING.
276 01:34:32:07
THAT'S CREATIVITY IN MUSIC.
277 01:34:34:07
IN OTHER WORDS, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SOME
PHYSICAL THING.
278 01:34:38:23
BUT THE CREATIVITY, I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS TO
FEEL THAT THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING.
279 01:34:46:01
I CAME FROM A FAMILY WHERE EVERYONE HAD A
POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN GENERAL, AND I THINK THAT
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HELPS AN AWFUL LOT.
280 01:34:54:17
AND I WAS RAISED IN A VERY...
281 01:34:57:18
IT WAS THE DEPRESSION, BUT IT WAS A VERY HAPPY
HOME.
282 01:35:02:02
IT WAS A COMFORTABLE HOME, YET THERE WERE
CRISES THAT HAPPENED.
283 01:35:06:16
I HAD A YOUNGER BROTHER DIE.
284 01:35:09:01
THE FAMILY WAS SORT OF A PULL-YOURSELF-UP- BYYOUR-BOOTSTRAPS- IF-YOU-HAVE-A-PROBLEM KIND
OF FAMILY.
285 01:35:17:03
IF YOU'RE RAISED IN AN ATMOSPHERE LIKE THAT,
YOU TEND TO BE MORE CAPABLE OF DEALING WITH
THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE.
286 01:35:26:03
ELIZABETH ALLEN LIVES IN A RETIREMENT HOME FOR
WOMEN. YOU GET 30 WOMEN IN ONE PLACE, YOU'RE
LUCKY TO HAVE ANY HAPPY CONTACT.
287 01:35:37:01
BUT I THINK THE LADIES LIKE EACH OTHER, AND
SOME OF THEM SPEND A LOT OF TIME.
288 01:35:43:18
THERE'S A SPECIAL LITTLE GROUP THAT SPENDS
MOST OF THEIR TIME OUTDOORS, WHICH IS GOOD
FOR THEM.
289 01:35:50:17
THEN THERE'S A GROUP THAT DOESN'T CARE ABOUT
ANYBODY ELSE ANY MORE THAN I DO.
290 01:35:56:17
THERE ARE ABOUT FOUR OF US LIKE ME.
291 01:35:59:18
WE LIKE US.
292 01:36:01:01
THAT'S VERY SELF-CENTERED.
293 01:36:02:16
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY'LL ALL AGREE WITH
THAT, BUT YOU MUST CONFESS THAT'S TRUE.
294 01:36:08:18
BUT AS FOR SOCIAL LIFE...
295 01:36:12:17
IF THERE'S SOMEBODY TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO,
THEY'D BE HAPPY TO DO IT.
296 01:36:18:16
BUT THEY DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANYTHING.
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297 01:36:21:18
THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING.
298 01:36:23:03
THEY DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY INNER RESOURCES
TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES UNLESS SOMEBODY
TELLS THEM WHAT TO DO.
299 01:36:31:02
SOME PEOPLE FIND RELIGION AN IMPORTANT
RESOURCE. I'VE BEEN ACTIVE IN MY RELIGION ALL MY
LIFE.
300 01:36:39:02
AND, UH...
301 01:36:40:17
I JUST FIND, FOR ME, IT WORKS.
302 01:36:43:17
IT GIVES ME A SATISFACTION.
303 01:36:45:16
IT GIVES ME A STRENGTH.
304 01:36:48:02
IT, UM...
305 01:36:50:01
A GOAL, MAYBE.
306 01:36:52:01
BECAUSE THERE IS -- IN MY BELIEF, THERE IS
ANOTHER LIFE.
307 01:36:56:18
SO THAT -- I MEAN, THERE IS AN AFTERLIFE AND THAT
IT'S SOMETHING TO WORK FOR AND TO ACHIEVE.
308 01:37:05:17
I THINK IF YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF AN OUTLOOK,
THEN YOU DON'T FEEL THAT WHEN YOU DIE THERE'S
NOTHING MORE.
309 01:37:14:21
YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY LONG-TERM GOALS.
310 01:37:19:02
MY GOALS ARE SHORT-TERM.
311 01:37:22:01
MY PHILOSOPHY IS TO LIVE EACH DAY AND ENJOY IT
TO THE FULLEST.
312 01:37:27:18
I'M REALLY AFRAID TO MAKE ANY LONG-RANGE
PLANS.
313 01:37:33:18
UM...
314 01:37:35:02
I THINK THAT LIFE IS UNCERTAIN, AND YOU JUST
HAVE TO ENJOY EACH DAY.
315 01:37:41:22
I LOOK TO PEOPLE IN THEIR 90s WHO ARE
STILL...WITH IT, WHO STILL HAVE GOOD MENTAL
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CAPACITY, EVEN IF THEY'RE WALKING WITH A CANE,
BUT WHO STILL HAVE A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE.
316 01:37:57:02
THOSE ARE MY ROLE MODELS.
317 01:37:59:01
AND HOPEFULLY, AT MY AGE, I CAN BE A ROLE MODEL
TO PEOPLE WHO ARE YOUNGER THAN I AM.
318 01:38:06:17
I HOPE TO ALWAYS CONTINUE LEARNING.
319 01:38:09:03
ONCE YOU STOP LEARNING, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE
DEAD.
320 01:38:13:02
BY THE SAME TOKEN, I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO TEACH
WHAT I LEARN TO OTHER PEOPLE.
321 01:38:19:16
IT'S VERY FLATTERING TO ME WHEN A PERSON 20, 25
YEARS YOUNGER THAN I AM WILL COME UP TO ME
AND SAY, "YOU'RE A ROLE MODEL." IT HELPS
CONSIDERABLY TO BUILD MY OWN EGO.
322 01:38:33:02
IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO BUILD MY SELF-ESTEEM.
323 01:38:37:18
I WAS ALWAYS SERVICING OTHER PEOPLE.
324 01:38:40:03
NOW...WHILE I STILL THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE OF
SERVICE TO OTHER PEOPLE, I ALSO TAKE MYSELF
INTO CONSIDERATION.
325 01:38:48:17
I DON'T WORRY ABOUT MY FUTURE, BUT I DO HOPE
TO KEEP IT ACTIVE, TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE, TO KEEP
MY EYESIGHT GOOD, AND TO KEEP MY MENTAL
ATTITUDE POSITIVE, ON AN OPTIMISTIC NOTE.
326 01:39:03:03
BECAUSE WHAT ELSE IS THERE?
327 01:39:05:17
THE ALTERNATIVE ISN'T ALL THAT GREAT.
328 01:39:08:02
COMMON MYTHS OF AGING SOMETIMES INTERFERE
WITH OLDER ADULTS' MENTAL OUTLOOK. TO
PROMOTE AND MAINTAIN MENTAL HEALTH, THE
MYTHS AND FALSE BELIEFS HAVE TO BE
CHALLENGED. ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCEPTS
REALLY FOCUSES AROUND SEPARATING NEGATIVE
CHANGES THAT REPRESENT ILLNESS FROM THOSE
THAT REPRESENT AGING.
329 01:39:28:03
AND SO MANY OF THE MYTHS RELATE TO A VIEW OF
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ILLNESS AS OPPOSED TO A VIEW OF AGING.
330 01:39:36:03
SO INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING, FOR EXAMPLE -THAT STAYS VERY MUCH INTACT IN THE PRESENCE
OF HEALTH.
331 01:39:42:02
THE WONDERFUL EXAMPLES SUCH AS PICASSO AND
GRANDMA MOSES ILLUSTRATE THAT.
332 01:39:47:03
DEPRESSION IS NOT A NORMAL PART OF AGING,
EVEN THOUGH MANY PEOPLE THINK IT IS.
333 01:39:53:02
TO THINK OF SOMETHING AS PART OF AGING, THAT'S
REALLY A PROBLEM.
334 01:39:57:17
YOU FAIL TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF INTERVENTIONS
OR OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
335 01:40:03:03
IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO DIFFERENTIATE WHAT'S AGING
AND WHAT ISN'T.
336 01:40:07:18
DEPRESSION IS THE MAJOR MENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEM OF OLDER PEOPLE.
337 01:40:11:16
BUT THE OTHER SIDE IS, MOST OLDER PEOPLE ARE
NOT DEPRESSED AND DEPRESSION, INDEPENDENT
OF AGE, RESPONDS TO TREATMENT.
338 01:40:19:18
THE BIG PROBLEM HAS BEEN WHEN PEOPLE THINK
THAT THAT'S ONE'S DESTINY WITH AGING, BUT IT'S
NOT ONE'S DESTINY.
339 01:40:27:02
THERE ARE PROBABLY ABOUT 15% OF OLD PEOPLE
WITH SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION.
340 01:40:32:03
THAT'S A HIGH PERCENTAGE, BUT AGAIN, IT'S THE
MINORITY OF OLDER PEOPLE.
341 01:40:36:18
BUT THAT DEPRESSION IS TREATABLE.
342 01:40:38:18
IT SHOULDN'T BE IGNORED BECAUSE SUICIDE IS
GREATEST IN LATER LIFE THAN IN ANY PART OF THE
LIFE CYCLE.
343 01:40:46:01
DEPRESSION IS THE NUMBER-ONE RISK FACTOR FOR
SUICIDE.
344 01:40:49:18
SOME OLDER ADULTS HAVE FOUND THEIR OWN
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FORMS OF THERAPY. I ALSO THOROUGHLY ENJOY
THE THEATER AND CONCERTS AND GO TO MANY,
MANY MATINEES.
345 01:41:00:03
WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME HOW I CAN AFFORD TO GO
FREQUENTLY, MY ANSWER IS, "IT'S CHEAPER THAN
PAYING A SHRINK." BECAUSE TO ME, THAT'S
THERAPY.
346 01:41:10:03
NO MATTER HOW SAD I MAY BE FEELING, IF I GO
HEAR SOME BEAUTIFUL MOZART OR BEETHOVEN OR
BACH OR SHOSTAKOVICH, IT GIVES ME A SENSE OF
BEAUTY.
347 01:41:22:01
I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE MANY GOOD THINGS
IN THIS LIFE.
348 01:41:26:18
MENTAL ATTITUDE IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
349 01:41:29:03
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FROM OTHERS IS IMPORTANT
TO A PERSON'S MENTAL HEALTH. [MARY SUE
WONSON] FOR ME, ROGER IS THE GREATEST HELP.
350 01:41:38:02
I TEND TO LET THINGS BOTHER ME MORE.
351 01:41:41:03
SO, IMMEDIATELY IF I HAVE A PROBLEM, I DISCUSS IT
WITH HIM.
352 01:41:46:03
HE MAKES ME SEE THAT EITHER IT ISN'T WORTH THE
CONCERN OR IF THERE IS A CONCERN, THERE'S A
WAY TO SOLVE IT THAT'S NOT TRAUMATIC OR NOT
DEADLY.
353 01:41:58:02
SO I FEEL ALWAYS SO MUCH BETTER IF I CAN
DISCUSS IT WITH HIM.
354 01:42:04:03
AND SOMETIMES WE JUST DECIDE THAT LIFE IS TOO
SHORT, AND WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO LET IT UPSET
US.
355 01:42:13:01
IT COULD, BUT WE JUST SAY, "WHAT THE HECK," AND
WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT.
356 01:42:19:18
YOU KNOW, I GUESS THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS
THAT YOU CAN CONTROL IN STRESSFUL SITUATIONS
AND THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T.
357 01:42:27:16
WE ALL REALIZE THIS.
Growing Old in a New Age: Intellect, Personality, and Mental Health
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358 01:42:29:02
I'M OF THE PERSONALITY TYPE OF "HEAD IN THE
SAND." ?\'f7 IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN THINGS -- I JUST
IGNORE THEM OR TRY NOT TO -- PUSH THEM AWAY.
359 01:42:40:02
I GUESS MAYBE WHAT YOU COULD POLITELY SAY IS A
POSITIVE PERSONALITY.
360 01:42:45:01
REALLY, I-I JUST -- WE HAVE A JOKE BETWEEN US.
361 01:42:49:18
SHE'LL SAY, "YOU HAVE YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND.
362 01:42:53:03
YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO IT." IT'S A NATURAL
WAY TO DEAL WITH IT.
363 01:42:58:17
I GUESS WE KIND OF BALANCE OURSELVES THAT
WAY.
364 01:43:02:02
I'LL SAY, "WE'LL FORGET ABOUT IT IF WE CAN'T
CHANGE IT." HAVING A CONFIDANT -- SOMEONE WHO
WILL LISTEN, CARE, NOT JUDGE -- IS ALSO VITAL TO
OUR MENTAL HEALTH. DORIS BIRCHANDER HAD A
ROUGH PERIOD WHEN HER HUSBAND'S PARENTS AND
HER OWN PARENTS NEEDED HER CARE. I WAS
SCRUBBING THE FLOOR, HOLDING EVERYTHING IN,
NOT KNOWING HOW TO DEAL WITH IT, HOW TO COPE.
365 01:43:28:03
I WAS SCRUBBING THE FLOOR -- MY OUTLET.
366 01:43:31:03
WHEN ANYTHING GOES WRONG, I SCRUB THE FLOOR.
367 01:43:34:02
THIS IS MY WAY OF DEALING WITH PROBLEMS.
368 01:43:37:01
I THOUGHT, "IS THIS GOING TO GO ON FOREVER?
369 01:43:40:17
AM I EVER GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS? WHY ME?"
HIS SISTER -- SHE'S BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE.
370 01:43:47:17
WE HAVE SUPPORTIVE FAMILIES.
371 01:43:49:03
SHE CAME IN THE DOOR AND SAID, "WHAT'S WRONG?"
I SAID, "I THINK IT'S AWFUL. I FEEL AWFUL." SHE SAID,
"YOU LOOK AWFUL. COME WITH ME." SHE TOOK ME
FOR A DAY, AND I LET IT ALL OUT.
372 01:44:04:03
ALL THE TEARS FLOWED. ALL OF IT RELEASED.
373 01:44:07:03
WE SURVIVED IT PRETTY WELL, I THINK.
374 01:44:10:09
WE SURVIVED IT A LITTLE CLOSER THAN WE
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EXPECTED TO.
375 01:44:14:09
IT'S A WONDER WE DIDN'T KILL ONE ANOTHER.
376 01:44:17:18
UP TO A POINT, STRESS ACTUALLY INCREASES
PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY. BEYOND THAT
POINT, IT'S DESTRUCTIVE. OLDER PATIENTS EXHIBIT
STRESS-RELATED PROBLEMS THAT ARE MUCH THE
SAME AS YOUNGER PATIENTS.
377 01:44:33:18
NAMELY, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT PEOPLE FEEL
ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, OFTEN ANGER, AND BLOOD
PRESSURE IS HIGHER.
378 01:44:44:02
STRESS CONTRIBUTES TO HYPERTENSION.
379 01:44:46:02
STRESS CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO CARDIAC
ARRYTHMIAS, TO ALTERATIONS WITHIN THE IMMUNE
SYSTEM, MAKING ANY FORMS OF PAIN WORSE.
380 01:44:57:18
AND ALSO STRESS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO OTHER
PROBLEMS THAT AREN'T STRESS-CAUSED, BUT
PERHAPS COULD BE MADE WORSE BY STRESS -SUCH AS INCONTINENCE, SUCH AS MEMORY LOSS.
381 01:45:13:16
MEDITATION HAS BEEN USED IN INDIA AND MANY
PARTS OF THE WORLD TO DEAL WITH STRESSRELATED PROBLEMS. DR. BENSON AND HIS
COLLEAGUES HAVE DEVELOPED INTERVENTIONS
USING THE RELAXATION RESPONSE. THE FIRST STEP
TO RELAXATION INVOLVES SITTING QUIETLY WITH
EYES CLOSED, RELAXING EVERY MUSCLE, AND
REPEATING A CHOSEN WORD OR SOUND WITH EVERY
EXHALED BREATH. THE SECOND STEP INVOLVES
FOCUSING ON THE CHOSEN REPETITION,
DISREGARDING ANY STRAY THOUGHTS. THE
RELAXATION RESPONSE CAN PRODUCE BENEFICIAL
CHANGES. AFTER PEOPLE ARE LESS ANXIOUS, WE
USE THAT OPEN DOOR CREATED BY THE RELAXATION
RESPONSE TO TEACH PROPER NUTRITION, TO TEACH
PROPER EXERCISE, AND ALSO TO TEACH HOW
PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THE VERY WAY THEY VIEW
THEIR WORLD DIFFERENTLY.
382 01:46:05:27
A MORE PEACEFUL, TRANQUIL STATE HAS MARKED
EFFECTS. PATIENTS GOING THROUGH ONE OF OUR
STUDIES, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO WENT THROUGH OUR
PROGRAM BASED ON THE RELAXATION RESPONSE --
Growing Old in a New Age: Intellect, Personality, and Mental Health
29 of 35
NUTRITION, EXERCISE, AND COGNITIVE
RESTRUCTURING -- HAD LOWER BLOOD PRESSURES
AND REQUIRED LESS MEDICATION.
383 01:46:26:17
AND OF THAT 80%, 20% WERE ABLE TO STOP THEIR
MEDICATIONS COMPLETELY AND CONTINUED TO
HAVE LOWER BLOOD PRESSURES.
384 01:46:35:03
WE'VE RECENTLY COMPLETED A FOLLOW-UP STUDY
ON THESE PATIENTS AND FOUND THAT THEY -FOLLOW-UP OF THREE TO FIVE YEARS -- AND FOUND
THE CHANGES ARE MAINTAINED AFTER THAT PERIOD
OF TIME.
385 01:46:50:01
THE BLOOD PRESSURE CHANGES WITH THE
RELAXATION RESPONSE HAVE BEEN PROVEN BY
MANY LABORATORIES FROM ACROSS THE WORLD.
386 01:46:57:03
WITH THESE NEW FRONTIERS, THERE'S BROADER
INTERACTION OF BRAIN AND BODY.
387 01:47:01:17
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ARE VERY EXCITING.
388 01:47:04:17
THEY POINT TO NEW DIRECTIONS FOR HEALTH
INTERVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION.
389 01:47:09:02
LAUGHTER, GOOD FEELINGS HELP THE IMMUNE
SYSTEM, HELP THE HEALTH.
390 01:47:14:17
AND BY THE SAME TOKEN, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY
UNDERMINES YOUR HEALTH.
391 01:47:18:18
AND IF THAT CAN HAPPEN, THEN WHY CAN'T
LAUGHTER AND GOOD FEELINGS HELP?
392 01:47:23:17
SO I TRY TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HUMOR
AND SPECIALIZE IN GIVING TALKS ON HUMOR, WHICH
SEEM TO BE ENJOYED.
393 01:47:32:04
\'d1 NUMBERS OF PEOPLE AFTER A TALK SAY, "I
WASN'T FEELING SO WELL WHEN I CAME, BUT YOU
MADE ME FEEL SO MUCH BETTER." THAT'S VERY
REWARDING.
394 01:47:42:22
RESEARCH ON AGING HAS HELPED CREATE NEW
ATTITUDES ABOUT INTELLECTUAL FUNCTION AND
HEALTH PROMOTION OF OLDER ADULTS. [DR. BIRREN]
THE QUESTION FOR ME IS, WHAT WILL THE FUTURE
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LOOK LIKE?
395 01:47:54:23
I LIKE TO REGARD THE PROBLEM LIKE ONE OF
PEELING AN ONION.
396 01:47:59:22
THERE ARE DIFFERENT LAYERS OF EXPLANATION.
397 01:48:02:07
THERE'S THE LAYER OF PHYSICAL FITNESS.
398 01:48:05:03
THAT'S CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN WE THOUGHT.
399 01:48:08:03
THE OCCURRENCE OF LATE-LIFE ILLNESSES.
400 01:48:11:03
WE CONFUSED AGING AND ILLNESS.
401 01:48:14:26
SO AS WE PEEL THESE OFF, WE FIND THAT THE CORE
CHANGES OF AGING ARE CONSIDERABLY LESS.
402 01:48:21:26
WE OVERESTIMATED IN THE PAST, SO THAT OUR
ESTIMATES OF WHAT THE OLD PERSON OF THE
FUTURE WILL BE LIKE ARE MUCH MORE FAVORABLE.
403 01:48:32:01
ONE CHANGE THAT'S ALREADY OCCURRING IS IN THE
MOTIVATION OF PEOPLE THEMSELVES.
404 01:48:38:03
UM...
405 01:48:39:18
IF YOU DEPRECIATE YOURSELF, YOU DON'T
CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH NEW LEARNING
OPPORTUNITIES.
406 01:48:47:02
THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN THE ORIENTATION OF
PEOPLE.
407 01:48:51:02
MORE MATURE PEOPLE PRESENT THEMSELVES TO
THE UNIVERSITY, TO COMMUNITY COLLEGES, TO
OTHER LEARNING EXPERIENCES.
408 01:48:58:02
THEY FEEL FIT, AND THEREFORE THEY ATTEMPT IT.
409 01:49:02:03
SO THE LEVEL OF ASPIRATIONS IS GOING UP.
410 01:49:05:02
THE GRAYING OF THE UNIVERSITY WILL CONTINUE
WELL INTO THE NEXT CENTURY.
411 01:49:10:16
THE YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY AS THEY CARRY
FORWARD INTO THEIR LATER YEARS WILL HAVE
HIGHER STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS.
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412 01:49:17:17
OUR GRANDPARENTS PUT UP WITH THINGS THAT WE
WOULDN'T PUT UP WITH.
413 01:49:22:17
THERE WAS A KIND OF A STOICISM ABOUT IT, THAT
THAT'S JUST THE WAY LIFE WAS.
414 01:49:29:03
AS THE BABY BOOMERS MOVE INTO MIDDLE AGE, THE
NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE ENTERING THE LABOR
FORCE WILL BE SMALLER. CONTRARY TO THE
PRESENT TREND OF EVER-EARLIER RETIREMENT, WE
MAY BEGIN TO SEE PRESSURES TO RETAIN, RETRAIN,
AND RECRUIT OLDER WORKERS. THIS HAS
INTERESTING IMPLICATIONS FOR INTELLECTUAL
COMPETENCE. IF WE ARE GOING TO RETAIN PEOPLE
LONGER, THEN IT BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT TO
MAINTAIN PEOPLE'S COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING
LONGER.
415 01:49:56:02
IT MAY EVEN INVOLVE LATE-CAREER RETRAINING
ACTIVITIES.
416 01:50:00:03
AND AS DR. WILLIS POINTS OUT, MANY OF THESE
OLDER WORKERS WILL BE WOMEN. BECAUSE OF THE
GENDER DIFFERENCE IN LIFE EXPECTANCY, THE OLDOLD AND THE VERY OLD ARE ALMOST, UM...
417 01:50:13:02
75% OR 80% WOMEN.
418 01:50:15:02
SO THAT WHEN WE THINK OF INTELLECTUAL
FUNCTIONING IN THE OLD-OLD AND VERY OLD, WE
NEED TO THINK OF WOMEN, ALSO WOMEN WHO WILL
BE IN THE WORK FORCE PRIMARILY ALL OF THEIR
LIVES.
419 01:50:29:02
THE INTELLECTUAL AGING OF WOMEN WILL BE QUITE
DIFFERENT THAN IT IS TODAY.
420 01:50:34:03
HOW WILL PSYCHOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY BE
LINKED TO HELP PEOPLE MAINTAIN THEIR COGNITIVE
ABILITIES LONGER? I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY SEE
MORE USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO -- WITH THE ELDERLY
-- ELDERLY'S USE OF THE TECHNOLOGY.
421 01:50:48:18
WE WERE JUST SPEAKING A MINUTE AGO THAT SINCE
1985, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
ELDERS THAT HAVE BECOME COMPUTER LITERATE.
422 01:50:59:09
I THINK THAT WILL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE, AND
Growing Old in a New Age: Intellect, Personality, and Mental Health
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NOT JUST THE USE OF THE, UM...PC, BUT ALSO ALL
THE COMPUTER-DRIVEN TECHNOLOGIES -- UM...
423 01:51:10:17
BANK MACHINES, MICROWAVE OVENS, TELEPHONES.
424 01:51:15:02
THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THERE.
425 01:51:17:02
THE TECHNOLOGY IS ALREADY THERE, BUT THERE'S
THE POTENTIAL TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY TO
REALLY COMPENSATE FOR SOME OF THE AGERELATED CHANGES IN HEALTH AND VISION AND
HEARING WITH AGE -- VOICE-ACTIVATED
COMPUTERS, MEMORY DEVICES TO HELP PEOPLE
SCHEDULE THEIR MEDICATIONS OR SOCIAL
SCHEDULES OR WHATEVER.
426 01:51:40:02
ELDERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY CAN BEGIN TO
INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER.
427 01:51:45:03
I CAN SEE A LOT OF COMPUTER INTERACTION AND,
UM...
428 01:51:50:02
E-MAILING AMONG THE ELDERS.
429 01:51:53:01
A NEW FORM OF LETTER WRITING MAY GROW UP.
430 01:51:56:18
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IN THE CURRENT COHORT OF
ELDERLY PEOPLE IS, THEY'VE BEEN RESISTANT TO
THE USE OF THIS TECHNOLOGY.
431 01:52:04:18
BUT I THINK AS WE SEE FUTURE GENERATIONS THAT
HAVE USED THIS TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR WORK,
THEY'LL EXPECT TO USE IT AND QUESTION HOW IT
CAN HELP THEM IN RETIREMENT.
432 01:52:16:02
TELEVISION IS MOSTLY A PASSIVE ACTIVITY. WE JUST
SIT AND WATCH. IN THE FUTURE, NEW GAME SHOWS
MAY GIVE PEOPLE THE CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE
MORE ACTIVELY. IF TELEVISION CAN BECOME
INTERACTIVE, I THINK IT HAS GREAT MERIT IN TERMS
OF INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION.
433 01:52:33:19
I SEE IN THE FUTURE A WHOLE CHANNEL FOR THE
ELDERS IN WHICH THE GAME SHOWS ARE TAILORED
FOR THEM.
434 01:52:41:18
NEW AREAS OF RESEARCH WILL LINK PSYCHOLOGY
AND BIOLOGY. THERE ARE MANY NEW AREAS OF
Growing Old in a New Age: Intellect, Personality, and Mental Health
33 of 35
RESEARCH.
435 01:52:48:23
SOMETIMES IT WOULD APPEAR AS THOUGH
KNOWLEDGE IS A CLOSED BOOK.
436 01:52:53:09
I'LL GIVE YOU JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
437 01:52:56:03
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE BODY MANUFACTURES
SOME 30,000 PROTEINS.
438 01:53:01:18
20,000 OF THOSE PROTEINS ARE BRAIN-SPECIFIC.
439 01:53:05:02
THEY'RE NOT FOUND IN THE REST OF THE BODY.
440 01:53:08:17
YOU GOT 20,000 PROTEINS UP THERE.
441 01:53:11:03
WE KNOW RELATIVELY FEW OF THESE AT THE
PRESENT TIME.
442 01:53:15:03
SO IN THAT COMPLEX COMPUTER THERE, WE DON'T
KNOW MANY OF THE COMPONENTS YET AND WHAT
THEY DO.
443 01:53:22:02
THESE MODULATIONS OF FEELING TONE AND
KNOWLEDGE THAT GO INTO COMPLEX REASONING...
444 01:53:29:18
WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PERSON
WHO IS CREATIVE IN WRITING FICTION VERSUS
SOLVING A MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM?
445 01:53:38:02
SO THAT'S ONE AREA.
446 01:53:39:17
WE MUST UNDERSTAND MORE OF THE USE AND
FUNCTIONS OF THESE DIFFERENT PROTEINS.
447 01:53:46:02
AND THEN THE BALANCE IN THE CHANGES WITH AGE.
448 01:53:50:02
ANOTHER ISSUE IS, WHY DON'T THE NEURONS, THE
FUNDAMENTAL CELLS OF THE BRAIN, CONTINUE TO
DIVIDE?
449 01:53:58:03
IT'S BEEN FOUND, FOR EXAMPLE, IN SOME BIRDS, UH,
SONGBIRDS, IN THE SPRING AND THE FALL OF THE
YEAR, THESE SONGBIRDS DEVELOP NEW NEURONS.
450 01:54:09:03
THEIR BRAIN CELLS CAN CONTINUE TO DIVIDE, AND
SO THEY SING DIFFERENT SONGS IN THE AUTUMN
THAN IN SPRING.
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451 01:54:17:03
NOW, THAT'S A PUZZLE.
452 01:54:19:01
WHY DOESN'T THE HUMAN BRAIN, THE NEURONS,
CONTINUE TO DIVIDE?
453 01:54:24:03
SO, IF YOU'VE LOST SOME THROUGH ILLNESS, A
STROKE, AN INJURY, WHY DON'T YOU REPLACE
THOSE NEURONS?
454 01:54:31:16
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DISCOVER WHAT
TURNS THE PROCESS OF CELL DIVISION ON AND OFF.
455 01:54:39:02
THEN PERHAPS IN THE NEXT CENTURY, WE CAN
REPAIR SOME OF THE BRAIN DAMAGE.
456 01:54:44:16
APPLYING PSYCHOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE TO
EVERYDAY BEHAVIOR WILL BE AN IMPORTANT AREA
OF STUDY IN THE 21st CENTURY. [DR. SCHAIE] ONE
OTHER AREA THAT I SEE STILL ONLY BEGINNING IN
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING IS A MORE
SOPHISTICATED ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF
PERSONALITY VARIABLES.
457 01:55:04:04
MOST OF WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT PERSONALITY, IN
GENERAL, SEEMS TO BE RATHER STABLE OVER THE
LIFE COURSE.
458 01:55:11:21
THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT PARTICULAR
CHARACTERISTICS MAY NOT BE AMENABLE TO
TREATMENT.
459 01:55:17:05
THAT'S THE WHOLE NOTION OF PSYCHOTHERAPY.
460 01:55:19:21
WE CAN MODIFY CERTAIN BEHAVIORS.
461 01:55:21:21
WHAT I THINK MAY BECOME OF GREAT INTEREST TO
SEE IS WHETHER ERE ARE SOME BEHAVIORS WHICH
SHOULD BE ADDRESSED, PARTICULARLY IN MIDLIFE,
BECAUSE THEIR MAINTENANCE MIGHT INTERFERE
WITH SUCCESSFUL AGING.
462 01:55:33:03
WE HAVE TO EXPAND OURSELVES TO OTHERS, TO
OTHER GROUPS, TO OTHER PEOPLE, AND KEEP ON
LEARNING.
463 01:55:40:02
THERE'S SO MUCH IN THIS WORLD TO LEARN.
464 01:55:43:03
IF YOU LIVED A MILLION YEARS, YOU COULDN'T
Growing Old in a New Age: Intellect, Personality, and Mental Health
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LEARN EVERYTHING.
465 01:55:47:02
BUT IF YOUR MIND IS OPEN AND WILLING TO ACCEPT
THE KNOWLEDGE THERE IS AND TO EXPAND ON THAT
KNOWLEDGE, I THINK WE CAN ALL HAVE BEAUTIFUL
AGING.
466 01:56:00:03
IT'S UP TO US.
467 01:56:10:03
CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL
CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, INC.
468 01:57:10:14
CAPTIONS COPYRIGHT 1993 UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
AT MANOA CENTER ON AGING
469 01:57:19:26
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470 01:57:23:10
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471 01:57:28:16
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