The New Old Age

[longknife]

Longevity is now our reality. Are we ready for it?

Several different lifespan calculators tell me I have 6 to 11 years more. I feel more like 16.


This personal story talks about how we now feel about aging and “old age.” It poits out that life=expectancy is no 80 for men and 84 for women. I actually think it’s a lot higher.

Forget bridge, crosswords, and cruises: the best and most consistent advice for a secure and healthy old age involves long-term financial planning, a capacity for independence, cardiovascular exercise, minimal consumption of sugar and alcohol, restful and brain-cleansing sleep, and stimulating activities to build up our cognitive reserves.

With current technology, one no longer needs to fully “retire” and can keep contributing for many years to come.


I got down towards the end before learning the author is Canadian, if that makes a difference.


The very lengthy article is @ The New Old Age

 

[longknife]

An Ode to Being Old

This should give a lot of middle-aged people a rosier outlook on their life expediencies. Just because we’re in our 40s doesn’t mean the end of things.

A new study, conducted by MIT in conjunction with the U.S. Census Bureau, analyzed 2.7 million people who started companies between 2007 and 2014 and found that among the fastest growing tech companies, the average founder was 45-years-old at the time of founding. The researchers also found that a 50-year-old is twice as likely to have a massive success—defined as a company that performs in the top 0.1 percent—than a 30-year-old. “These findings strongly reject common hypotheses that emphasize youth as a key trait of successful entrepreneurs,” write the authors of the study. “The view that young people produce the highest-growth companies is in part a rejection of the role of experience.”

In other words: Success in business, even in the fast-paced start-up world, isn’t just about age-related smarts. Wisdom, a deeper kind of knowing that can only be gained through experience, matters too. And apparently, it matters quite a bit.

More @ An Ode to Being Old