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FAU researcher into aging shares his view about one of the greatest cultural opportunities of our times

People today are becoming older than any previous generation, and yet long life is still often discussed as placing a strain on society and social systems. Prof. Dr. Frieder R. Lang, head of the Chair of Psychogerontology at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and researcher into aging, believes this opinion to be short-sighted. In our interview, he talks about the opportunities entailed by long life, misconceptions in society and the question about what really counts at the end of the day.

Life expectancy continues to rise, and yet, the aging society is nearly always described as a problem. Why do we find it so hard to see rising life expectancy as a indication of societal success?

The possibility and increasing probability of longer life expectancy is a direct result of social, technological and medical progress. In the 19th century, people were still susceptible to dying at almost any age from minor infections or inflammation. Today, we have become used to experiencing disease, dying and death only after a long life. This leads to the mistaken conclusion that only the last phase of life has particularly high health risks. In actual fact, these risks are present at each phase of our life. In addition,we often overlook the fact that nowadays a good quality of life is still possible in spite of having a chronic illness.

Aging is often linked to loss, disease and deterioration. How much does our vision of aging influence how we ourselves age?

From early childhood on, we experience that elderly people are ill, frail, forgetful or helpless and when we notice the first signs of aging in ourselves, that can be frightening. Psychological research has shown that some people damage themselves even more on the basis of such negative ways of thinking by giving up, withdrawing from society and stopping living their life to the full. The crucial factor is to make the best out of a long life – and to want to do so. 

For many people, retirement marks the transition into a new phase of life: Finally not having to work anymore. Is this attitude towards aging still in line with the times, or are we robbing ourselves of important years of our lives?

This attitude was never in line with the times. There are a number of misconceptions surrounding the term retirement, for instance that only people who are gainfully employed can be productive. The productivity of a long life is reflected in different, often very personal forms of expression, such as a pleasant evening walk chatting with a friend. Anything which improves life in society and makes it more agreeable is productive. Looking after other people is productive. Another misconception is that it is possible for people to do nothing. People live and thrive through movement, at all times.

A long life does not only mean more opportunities, but also more experience with illness, farewells and a sense that everything comes to an end. What do we need to cope with this growing vulnerability without either romanticizing or fearing aging?

A long life brings a lot of uncertainties for everyone. As we age, uncertainties become specific challenges that we have to face. To do so, we have to be willing to practice new ways of thinking and behaving. A lot of people view this as asking too much of them. However, we shouldn’t forget that this applies to every phase of life, not only aging Life was never easy – for anyone. When it comes to the later phase of life, it can be shown that coming to terms with your own mortality and the trials and tribulations of a long life can help you make better use of the opportunities aging brings. The point is to find out how to accept what can’t be changed.

Nowadays, generations are often set off against each other: The elderly are living at the cost of the younger generations, it is claimed. What keeps a society together over several generations?

Basically, we have known for a very long time that societies fall apart and perish without the connection between generations. Long life is key to allowing genuine, sustainable connection between the generations, thereby facilitating social progress and prosperity. Have a look at just a few examples: When families fall apart, young people often lose their sense of hope and trust in the future. If teachers fail to act as role models, young people can lose their enthusiasm and become listless. If the generational contract in society can no longer be relied on, many people take on a destructive attitude and behave accordingly. A long life is therefore important for society.  

A lot of people have the impression that time races by faster as we age. What happens with our sense of time as we become older? And why do some people experience their later years of life as a particularly intense period?

Psychology literature has a wide range of explanations why time seems to speed up as we age. Most of these explanations have long been refuted, even if they appeared plausible at first. In my book I give an explanation that we have investigated in our research and that has stood the test of time. The main argument is that a joy for life goes hand in hand with an accelerated sense of time passing.  

Medicine and research are working at delaying the onset of age-related illnesses and extending our lifespan. But what makes additional years of life a true gain in terms of a life worth living?

An important task in a long life is to become aware of one’s own mortality without despairing about it. This can succeed if you embrace the never-ending opportunities life affords, not only your own life, but life in general. You have to link your own desires, ideas and attitudes with a sense of continuity. For some people, this finds expression in love toward their own offspring, for others through doing a good deed. The important factor is that it depends on each individual. There is no recipe that works just as well for everyone, each individual is special in their own unique way, and should be allowed to be so.

Would you yourself want to reach the age of 130, or is there a certain point at which a life can become too long?

Unfortunately, a lot of very elderly people have the feeling that their life is lasting very long, possibly too long for their liking. I believe that that is not due to life itself, but to the difficult circumstances in society: Every life, no matter how long it lasts, is worth being protected, supported and encouraged. My impression is that anyone who is loved also wants to live. However, it is very hard to keep your will to live if you feel unloved.

Prof. Dr. Frieder R. Lang explores these and a number of other questions about long life, aging and coping with one’s own mortality in his new book “Besser lange leben”.

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