Believing That Aging Is Bad Could Weirdly Be Good for You
Psychology Today | 15.11.2025 22:35
When “stereotype embodiment theory” revealed that negative thoughts about getting older could shorten people’s lives (Levy, 2009), the message to the public was to reject ageist beliefs and instead focus on aging’s benefits. There are all sorts of websites now that recommend you rid your mind of all the images and thoughts linking aging with weakness and sickness. In fact, when my colleagues and I, who serve on the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Committee on Aging, developed the 2025 Resolution on Ageism, we heartily endorsed the idea that ageism produces a host of risks to mental and physical health.
