On Aging.2

Why I will live long and healthily:

"[T]hose who had positive perceptions of aging lived an average of 7.5 years longer, a bigger increase than that associated with exercising or not smoking. ... [O]lder people exposed to negative images of aging, including words like “forgetful,” “feeble” and “shaky,” performed significantly worse on memory and balance tests; in previous experiments, they also showed higher levels of stress."

Why I need to not end up in a nursing home:

"[T]he worst offenders [at condescending to the elderly] are often health care workers."

One woman's strategy:

"To avoid stereotyping, Ms. Kirschman said, she often sprinkles her conversation with profanities when she is among people who do not know her. 'That makes them think, This is someone to be reckoned with,' she said. 'A little sharpness seems to help.'"