Attitudes matter in an aging world • Hacker News Board

Re: Attitudes matter in an aging world

#21

Post by draugadrotten » Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 11:54 AM UTC

kaybe wrote: post #16

newnewpdro wrote: post #6

I wish more people would continue living youthfully into adulthood, and continue to do so for as long as possible, with the limits of old age being an emergent phenomenon forced onto them rather than something they unwittingly eagerly pursued through laziness and boredom. If you ride a bicycle every day, barring some injury forcing a prolonged break, you'll continue to be able to deep into old age. Anything we practi…

I wish there were more free playgrounds that can also be used by adults, spread around like the ones for kids. I also like ropeways, climbing high, swings etc. Instead adults get boring repetive-movement fitness equipment.

> I wish there were more free playgrounds that can also be used by adults, spread around like the ones for kids. I also like ropeways, climbing high, swings etc.

It's not a major investment on your part. Buy a few ropes, a swing and make your own in your garden or a nearby forest.

If you live in a location which prevents you from living a healthy life, perhaps you should think about moving.

Re: Attitudes matter in an aging world

#22

Post by slx26 » Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 12:03 PM UTC

onion2k wrote: post #7

randyrand wrote: post #4

Correlation =/= causation. Can't be said often enough.

Sometimes correlation isn't causation, but if we just say "correlation =/= causation" every time something happens we'll never discover anything. If two things are correlated it's at least worth investigating further, and quite often turns out to be a causal link.

You are right, but in my opinion the page/writer completely fails when they don't explain and clearly state that the possibility of "correlation =/= causation" exists. And it fails because we lose 80% of the people to blind belief towards what the article says, and from the other 20%, 15% are saying "correlation =/= causation", and a 4% like you are saying in response: "sure, but that's something we need to investigate to tell".

I understand that the balance between science and selling the science is hard, but it can be done, and imho they could be doing it better.

Re: Attitudes matter in an aging world

#23

Post by ataturk » Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 12:08 PM UTC

janwillemb wrote: post #9

"people who have a positive attitude about getting older, live longer" The conclusion might as well be the other way round: people who have health problems when getting older are more likely to have a negative attitude about getting older and will probably die at a younger age than people without health issues.

Stupid article. Is there any age at which having a positive attitude isn't overall helpful?

The issue with old age is the random serious illness lottery and really nothing else.

Re: Attitudes matter in an aging world

#24

Post by barrkel » Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 12:24 PM UTC

gaius wrote: post #17

kerrsclyde wrote: post #14

I think one of the best ways to maintain youth and health in your advancing years is to continue to work.

maintain youth and health in your advancing years is to continue to work. Define “work”. Manual labour? Sitting in an office? Both have negative health impacts. The sort of work that prolongs quality of life is only a subset of the work there is economic demand for. A job which is active but not strenuous, basically. Most jobs are either physically hard work or mainly sedentary, with not much in between.

Work: a purpose for being, and making you feel socially useful.

Re: Attitudes matter in an aging world

#25

Post by s-shellfish » Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 12:25 PM UTC

Madmallard wrote: post #2

Healthier people have better attitudes.

That's circular.

Re: Attitudes matter in an aging world

#26

Post by RegBarclay » Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 12:29 PM UTC

s-shellfish wrote: post #25

Madmallard wrote: post #2

Healthier people have better attitudes.

That's circular.

Positive feedback cycle?

Re: Attitudes matter in an aging world

#27

Post by s-shellfish » Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 12:46 PM UTC

RegBarclay wrote: post #26

s-shellfish wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's circular.

Positive feedback cycle?

It's still a divide, social attitudes can shape behavior and health just as much.

Honestly, I don't know how to be positive about this. Some people experience events in life that are beyond their control, that shape their attitudes. Those attitudes may be judged by a 'healthy attitude' population as 'unhealthy attitudes'.

This ostracizes a portion of the population and can lead to a negative feedback cycle for an individual, because they literally can't learn how to have a 'healthy attitude'. The best they can do likely, is be neutral (i.e. compromise).

Empathy and awareness are 'healthy' too, even if for the moment, it affects that positive feedback loop you've got in your mind. It's the minutia that don't matter, and when it comes to judgement of attitudes, it's honestly extremely difficult to differentiate between overall trends and insignificant correlative details in practice.

The person with the 'unhealthy attitude' may just be wearing a mask of someone they were heavily influenced by, and they may simply not have the resources or the 'luck' to have encountered learning otherwise. All of this can be incredibly draining and isn't your duty or obligation to 'correct', but I think that's where acceptance and tolerance come in.

My point is not everyone has to have the same style mind in order to be considered 'healthy'. People can survive (quite contently) without constantly thinking positive and having to outwardly serve as proxies to reinforce attitudes so we can all convince ourselves 'we are happy and healthy and the future will be swell'. You need all types of people in life to have the world function and improve.

Honestly sometimes I think some people can become terrified to be anything besides positive, and that limits their freedom of speech and ability to grow.

Re: Attitudes matter in an aging world

#28

Post by TeMPOraL » Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 1:36 PM UTC

barrkel wrote: post #24

gaius wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

maintain youth and health in your advancing years is to continue to work. Define “work”. Manual labour? Sitting in an office? Both have negative health impacts. The sort of work that prolongs quality of life is only a subset of the work there is economic demand for. A job which is active but not strenuous, basically. Most jobs are either physically hard work or mainly sedentary, with not much in between.

Work: a purpose for being, and making you feel socially useful.

Where do you get that these days? It's increasingly hard to find it on the job market.

Re: Attitudes matter in an aging world

#29

Post by ForRealsies » Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 1:51 PM UTC

RegBarclay wrote: post #26

s-shellfish wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's circular.

Positive feedback cycle?

Studies show that happiness is more indicative of achieving success, than achieving success is of happiness. https://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_be...

Re: Attitudes matter in an aging world

#30

Post by Angostura » Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 1:59 PM UTC

tw1010 wrote: post #20

Angostura wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except there's no suggestion that the people who were thinking negatively about old age actually had worse health at that stage. The headline is rather misleading, the study suggested that where older people are more respected in a society, they tend to live longer.

But what if countries with a better attitude towards the elderly are also correlated with a higher likelihood of being ok with their taxes going to health care for the old? It doesn't necessarily have to do with respect.

What, places like Pakistan, you mean?