How we view aging shapes not only our treatment of elders but our own expectations about growing older. Having experienced three distinct cultural approaches—American, Caribbean, and French—I’ve witnessed profound differences that deserve our attention.

Youth Obsession

American culture operates from a premise of decline when it comes to aging. Despite being one of the world’s most rapidly aging societies, the US maintains a strong even relentless youth-centered view of older adults through a lens of obsolescence.

Ageism permeates workplaces where older employees face assumptions about technological incompetence, relevance, and worth. Age segregation—forced retirement and moving elders into specialized facilities—reinforces their separation from mainstream society.

This “fixed mindset” creates self-fulfilling prophecies. When we assume older people can’t adapt or contribute meaningfully, we rob both them and ourselves of valuable perspectives. American culture treats aging as a problem to be solved or hidden, promoting “graceful aging” that often means aging invisibly.

Caribbean Wisdom Sees Aging as Achievement

Caribbean cultures operate from a different premise—aging represents accumulation rather than loss. Elders are revered as vessels of wisdom, cultural knowledge, and spiritual depth. Rather than segregation, these societies emphasize multigenerational integration, with grandparents playing central roles in family decisions and community leadership.

In Caribbean communities, respect for elders recognizes lived experience as valuable currency. Older adults serve as storytellers, historians, and spiritual guides, maintaining visibility and voice. The assumption isn’t that age brings rigidity, but perspective earned through decades of change. This creates profound differences in how people experience their own aging—as a journey toward wisdom and dignity rather than irrelevance.

The French and Aging Well

French culture occupies a fascinating middle ground, blending respect for experience with expectations of continued engagement. The concept of “bien vieillir” (aging well) emphasizes maintaining dignity, intellectual curiosity, and social participation. There’s notably less workplace ageism than in America, with greater appreciation for institutional knowledge.

French society expects elders to remain culturally engaged, personally stylish, respectful, and courteous. Retirement isn’t withdrawal but an opportunity for continued learning. This treats aging as life’s continued sophistication rather than decline.

These contrasting approaches reveal the power of the collective mindset in shaping individual experience.

In cultures that revere aging, people approach later years with confidence. In cultures that fear and disrespect aging, it creates anxiety, fear, and shame.

Most importantly, these cultural lenses show us that ageism isn’t inevitable—it’s learned. It can and should be unlearned. By examining how other societies honor aging, we can question our assumptions about what we might be losing when we devalue wisdom that comes with time.

How do you want to be treated as you age?

Thanks – Michael (he, him)

Please share this Daily with your tribes.
This matters too – Older and Younger Unite.

#2054