Critique of Rethinking Aging: From Decline to Opportunity
While revaluing aging as a period of opportunity is inspiring, it risks oversimplifying the complex realities many elderly face. Aging often brings significant biological and social challenges—such as health decline, reduced mobility, and financial insecurity—that can impede the pursuit of enriched engagement. By emphasizing intergenerational solidarity and a redefinition of purpose, we might inadvertently downplay the material and existential vulnerabilities that require concrete systemic solutions. This perspective could also create unrealistic expectations about older adults’ capacity to contribute, ignoring that for many, the struggle against isolation is deeply intertwined with unavoidable physical and psychological decline.