Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, after his re-election to a second term in November 1984. “Mr. President, I would like to address an issue that has arisen in the last two to three weeks and discuss it from a national security standpoint.” Journalist Henry Truitt paused and gave Ronald Reagan a long, attentive look. The conversation took place in October 1984, when Reagan was participating in televised debates as he campaigned for a second term in the White House. Polls in the last few weeks showed him trailing his opponent, Democrat Walter Mondale. There were rumors that at the age of 73, Reagan was simply too old for the office he held. At the time, he was the oldest American president in history. 36 years later, his record would be broken by Donald Trump, immediately followed by Joseph Biden. On June 14 last year, Trump turned 74, and Biden, who had just become the 46th president of the United States, celebrated his 78th birthday on November 20, 2020. Truitt asked Reagan if he had any doubts about his ability to perform under stress. “Not in the least!” the candidate smiled. “Please note that I am not raising the issue of age in this campaign, and I am not exploiting my opponent’s youth and inexperience for political purposes,” he added. His response drew laughter and applause from the audience.
Two months ago, Joe Biden, the new President of the United States, turned 78, and his wife Jill is 69. Reagan won the election by a wide margin. His sharp remark about Mondale turned out to be more accurate than he himself could have anticipated. Reagan had not only experience on his side, but also the overall image of a “mature person. We’re all familiar with the changes in appearance that come with aging: skin loses elasticity, gums seem to recede into the mouth, the nose appears to enlarge, hair either disappears altogether for some or begins to grow where it shouldn’t. A person leans forward and appears shorter in height.
Character changes significantly with age, according to one study. After several decades of studying the effects of aging, British scientists have discovered other, more mysterious phenomena. “It can be argued that no two people are exactly the same throughout their lives,” says psychologist Rene Mottus of the University of Edinburgh. Most of us are used to thinking of our personalities as unchanging. However, research shows that our character changes significantly over the years, especially after the ages of 70 and 80. Along with age-related conservatism and loss of interest in life, the weakening of memory and attention in the “golden years” also bring out virtues. We become more balanced and submissive and less nervous. The traits of the “dark triad” known in psychology – Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy – are on the decline. The risk of antisocial behavior decreases. According to scientists, older people have better control of their emotions, become more altruistic, have stronger willpower and a sense of humor. This winning combination requires rethinking the stereotypical view of older people as grumpy complainers. It used to be thought that a person’s character is completely formed in childhood and matures by the age of thirty at the latest. But, according to the authors of the study, it seems to retain “fluidity and flexibility”.
Older people are more likely to align their life expectations with the demands of society, psychologists say. “As people age, they become more comfortable with communication,” says René Mottus. “They adapt their life expectations more proportionally to the demands of society.” Psychologists call this process “personal growth. It occurs gradually and imperceptibly, beginning in adolescence and continuing until the age of eighty. Surprisingly, it influences all cultures equally, from Guatemala to India. “Sometimes it is difficult to judge these changes as good or bad, but overall they are beneficial,” says Rodika Damian, a social psychologist at the University of Houston. Let’s say that emotional instability is generally associated with mental problems, the risk of premature death, and an increase in the number of divorces. On the other hand, a partner of a person with a developed sense of responsibility will be happier because he will wash the dishes on time and will not cheat. However, research shows that a person’s character changes with age, but compared to other members of the same age group, an individual retains his or her inherent traits throughout life.
What determines character – environment or genes? Opinions are divided. In other words, overall nervous excitability decreases, but the person who was the most neurotic among peers at age 11 will still be the most neurotic among 81-year-olds. “A person’s character is not carved in stone and can change, but there is a certain foundation that distinguishes one person from another,” notes Rodika Damian. Because the maturation of the personality is generally universal, many experts believe that it is genetically programmed, possibly even formed during evolution. Others believe that character is only partially dependent on genes and that the social environment plays an important role. For example, according to University of California psychologist Vibke Blaydorn, personal maturity occurs earlier in cultures where early adulthood is expected – starting work, getting married, taking on adult responsibilities. “People need to adapt to life’s challenges and change their behavior,” says Rodika Damian. But what happens when we get old?
We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what happens next. The number of episodes should remain the same. The end of the story: Advertising Podcasts There are two ways to study age-related character traits. One option is to take a large group of people of different ages at the same time and observe how they differ. The danger here is that cultural generational traits, such as a tendency to be prudish or a love of sherry and pastries, are assumed to be age-related. Another way is to take a group of young people and study them over many years. This is exactly what was done in the Lothian Cohort Study, which followed two groups of Scots in June 1932 and June 1947, when they were 11 years old. René Mottus and his colleagues found hundreds of these people, who were now between 66 and 81 years old. With a break of several years, they were asked to answer a series of exactly the same questions. “Because we studied two different groups of people and did it twice, our study combines both approaches,” says Mottus. The results for the two generations were remarkably different. If the character traits of the younger group (born in 1936) have not changed significantly, the older group (born in 1921) has become more introverted on average and less inclined to agree with the interlocutor. It can be said that the positive qualities they have acquired throughout their lives are being lost. “I think it’s quite understandable, and the older a person gets, the faster they change,” says Rene Mottus, linking the corruption of character to deteriorating health and the loss of loved ones and friends. “The connection to the world is lost,” Mottus explains.
“Our well-being in old age depends largely on our character, psychologists believe. So far, no one has explored what trends will be observed among those who reach 100 years of age. A study conducted in Japan, where there are many centenarians, seems to indicate that 100-year-olds show higher levels of social responsibility and sociability. It is unclear, however, whether these changes occur with age or whether these traits are innate and may contribute to their longevity. Our well-being in old age depends greatly on our character. For example, people with high self-control abilities generally have better health, neurotic women are more likely to experience adverse menopausal phenomena, and narcissistic individuals suffer from loneliness, which in turn is associated with premature death. In the future, a better understanding of how our character changes with age and how it relates to physical health should help to identify and support at-risk groups. If we know what desirable and undesirable changes are happening to us, we can partially control them. “It is important to understand that character is capable of changing and adapting to the challenges of life,” says René Damian. Or at least to know what awaits us and what we will become.