As he aged, people become more different from each other, according to a doctoral thesis at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden).
“The elderly are generally regarded as a rather homogeneous group of people sick, alone and unable to take care of themselves. But the truth is that differences between people grow with age,” said Bo G Eriksson author.
“The perception that older people have interests, values and lifestyles may lead to similar discrimination. But I found that as people get older, these stereotypes are becoming less and less true “he said.
He has explored the social conditions that may affect the longevity and found four mechanisms at work. The first two are related to the creation of social facts, for instance the promises and agreements that strengthen the identities of individuals. The third is related to how a person constructs and maintains self-esteem by successfully meeting the challenges. And the fourth consists of daily conversations that can reduce anxiety, provide support for decisions every day, helping to improve attention and provide the brain and memory training healthy.
“Taken together, these mechanisms also contribute to increase daily activity has beneficial physical effects,” he said.