Challenging Assumptions

I was in my 20s when I first heard this piece of advice: “When you assume something, it makes an ASS out of U and ME.” I thought that was pretty funny then because, after all, I just about had the answers for everything. Making assumptions wasn’t something I did!

Of course, I have had many moments over my lifetime to see that assumption challenged, over and over again. Out of those experiences, I have come to realize that assumptions don’t make an ass out of any of us, but they do create opportunities to rethink beliefs that too often go unchallenged. Here are four assumptions about aging that I think are worth challenging.

Assumption 1: Aging Means Decline

One of the most commonly held assumptions about aging is that as we get older, our overall health and mentation “decline.” Multiple social factors feed this assumption, as does our unquestioned acceptance of “decline” as the definition of change.

I can’t argue that aging doesn’t change a person. It does, in multiple ways. What sustains the notion of “decline” is the idea that the loss of any capacity is negative. Consider how we talk about the end of life. The end result for all of us is death, regardless of our vital signs or the chronic diseases we may have lived with for decades. Yet it is not uncommon for people to say, “She was too young to die!”

When is it “too old” to die?

When years are the only measure of a life, we miss so many other measures of having lived a “good” life. It is not about how many days a person has been on Earth—it is about what that person has done with those days. Loss of any capacity is a change to be accommodated, not proof that a life is in decline.

Assumption 2: Age Predicts Ability

Right now there is a debate about placing limits on elected officials. Some proposals suggest term limits; others focus on maximum age or on cognitive testing. The age-based arguments rest on the assumption that being “old” means being out of touch: out of touch with new technology, new ideas, and new approaches to stubborn problems. Along with that comes the unquestioned assumption that “young” is better. And we have a preference for youth!

Consider a recent example: this past week, news videos showed Senator Mitch McConnell being wheeled into the Senate chamber. The implicit message, however deliberately it was used for political purposes, was that the senator is no longer able to do his job. That may be true, but if so, the cause is not solely his age. Still, the images reinforced assumptions about aging that many of us hold.

What Should Be Measured?

Age alone is merely a measure of time passing. Am I less able to use my smartphone today than I was yesterday? Have I lost my ability to problem-solve just because my birthday month has passed? When I turned 65, did I magically lose my ability to climb stairs or ride a bike? When age is the only measure used to evaluate functional ability, we lose sight of what actually needs to be measured.

These are all abilities that can be measured with standardized testing, allowing conclusions to be drawn about a person’s ability to do a given job. We use such measures in other areas. Why not for aging?

A Better Measure: Functional Capacity

There is a relatively easy shift to make in order to adapt to longer lives: use functional capacity as the measure. Functional capacity can be defined as having enough strength, stamina, and cognitive reserve to successfully accomplish the tasks required by the job at hand. The same standard applies to everyone, whatever their age.

What would you consider appropriate measures of strength, stamina, and cognitive reserve for an elected official? People in any workplace can struggle in one or more of these areas. Without such a standard, our judgment about who can and can’t do the job is heavily influenced by our assumptions about what it means to be old.

A Personal Example

I am living this question myself. My functional capacities are changing. One factor is long COVID. I need to pace myself in order to do all the things I want and need to do. If I didn’t have long COVID, I imagine I could accomplish the same things without the added monitoring.

Before COVID, I had both hips replaced. Functionally, I was limited. I could barely walk. Once I had my new hips, that functional status changed. No longer was pain a barrier to walking, swimming, or doing other physical activities I enjoy.

My brain is changing, too. I am hypervigilant when words don’t come to me as quickly as they used to and when I can’t remember people’s names. Yet I still put out a weekly blog, work on my website, teach classes, and remember to pay my bills. Functionally, my cognitive reserves remain strong, but I need to pay attention to them.

What these experiences show me is that capacity changes for many reasons, including illness and surgery, not just birthdays; that it can improve as well as decrease; and that paying attention to it is part of functioning well.

Assumption 3: Productive Years End at 65

Our beliefs about aging carry an implicit expectation of productivity: that a person’s productive years have a beginning and an end. The accepted age for retirement here in the U.S. is 65. That number is a policy benchmark. It continues to shape our expectations of when one generation should step aside so the next can take over. Concern about making room for the next generation is fair, but it is an argument about opportunity, not about capacity, and the two should not be confused.

The reality is that for more and more of us, our capacity to contribute to society in meaningful ways continues well past 65. Yet opportunities to contribute, whether in a trade, a business, the arts, or elsewhere, abruptly shrink.

Assumption 4: We Already Know What “Old” Means

If you want to age better and age well, you need to explore your own assumptions about aging. Ask yourself: If it weren’t about a number, how would I define “old”? Notice when you use age as an excuse for not doing something, and challenge that self-talk.

Push back, gently, when someone says, “You’re really amazing for someone your age!” The compliment carries an assumption of low expectations. “You’re only as old as you feel!” may seem like a harmless cliché, but it suggests that being “old” can’t feel good. By golly, maybe you are feeling fantastic and are old, too.

Redefine What “Old” Means to You

When I was in my 20s, I believed I didn’t make assumptions. Decades later, I see that the assumptions I carry about age are among the most powerful I hold—about elected officials, about retirement, and about myself.

Challenging them isn’t about proving anyone wrong. It is about opening the door to rethinking what “old” means, for ourselves and for the people we choose to lead us. Challenge your own notions, and then redefine what “old” means to you.