What do you think about agesim?

Question

Don't you think it is absurd? One more stone to put in front of our feet?

Someone is too young for a certain job. Just seven years later this same person is too old for that same job (story told by a friend).

Again, why age matters so much?

What about our accomplishments as humans?

Why we keep getting categorized in little boxes: race, religion, gender, ideologies and age?

Does this bothers you as much as it bothers me?

Answer 1

"Someone is too young for a certain job. Just seven years later this same person is too old for that same job (story told by a friend). "

In Europe employers are still allowed to mention the sex and age of candidates they want in adverts! It was customary to attatch a photo to one's CV. In Germany sometimes a candidate's handwriting would be subject to 'analysis' (long dismissed as pseudo science elsewhere).

However, ageism on this side of the pond - while being less overt - remains in evidence all the same. I know that middle aged men who had middle management jobs that were axed in the 1990's had a helluva time getting on their feet. Some never did. Some lost everything.

Ageism hurts us all, men and women alike. The emphasis on women's physical appearance (read: 'beauty"), puts them at a distinctly greater disadvantage in many circumstances. There is more societal prejudice against older women than there is older men.

But then, what's "older"? The dynamics are changing. We are living much longer than in the past. Maybe the old fourty will be the new sixty? People are also working longer than they have in the past because they HAVE to; a minority choose this voluntarily.

Whatever happend to those old 'Freedom 55' television ads? Yep, they went the way of the do-do. Nowadays, it's just unrealistic to expect to be able to retire at age 55. It's a joke.

Answer 2

excellent questions my lovely flyinghorse!

Warning: My answers might sound a little harsh but pls understand that i am trying to be as objective as I can here.

"What do you think about agesim. Don't you think it is absurd? One more stone to put in front of our feet?"

I don't think its 'that' absurd. However i would say the ppl who have once enjoyed all the the benefits and attention from being young & pretty but have lost all that attention because of some 'age related issues' would more likely to find ageism absurd and even hateful (i am not refering to anyone specifically here). :-)

"Someone is too young for a certain job. Just seven years later this same person is too old for that same job (story told by a friend)."

yeah this happens all the time but then since many of us who are still young and 'most likely' wouldn't hesitate to 'maximize' pleasure by taking advantage of our youthful looks, i would say we deserve to be treated the same way (ie, as we've treated those who are older than us) by the younger generation later on in life. The only solution to this problem would be to encourage young(er) people (and perhaps the old(er) ppl as well) to be more humble and less self-centered.

"Again, why age matters so much?"

'matters so much' for some people working in certain professions but not for everyone. I agree with you that age should not be the 'thing' that 'matters' but one important thing to note here is that an old person could be just as haughty, arrogant and self-centered as any 'brat' that the 'society' (or should i say the media?) would never hesitate to condemn.

"What about our accomplishments as humans?"

Hmm...i wish the older people that I have dealt or work with were as open minded as you are now. I would say often its all about self-interest. Age could be an effective excuse for helping someone to maintain his/her social position or status quo.

"Why we keep getting categorized in little boxes: race, religion, gender, ideologies and age?"

we can choose not to be categorized or categorize other ppl that way but first we must try to change our own attitude and perceptions towards ourselves & others.

"Does this bothers you as much as it bothers me?"

Yes it DID bother me a little. However from the moment i discover the amazing complexity behind this whole age agenda, ivedecided not to worry too much about it.

hope this makes sense.

Answer 3

I think that this is a very relevant and timely question. I am a baby boomer and as you know there are a lot of us out there
I have been out of the work force for 5 years caring for a dying relative. I have almost given up on the idea of getting back in the work force because I'm afraid they will laugh in my face. I am an intelligent, articulate person who has much to offer but fear all employers will look at is my age. I also agree with 6666 my sister is morbidly obese and the first time she applied for nursing school they turned her down because of her weight. They said that they didn't think that she could keep up. The second time she tried they accepted her because they felt that her tenacity needed to be recognized. Guess what it's 20 years later and she is one of the most caring, experienced and capable nurse that you would meet. We do put people in boxes and it's time to stop
We are becoming so much more globalized that you can't ignore a persons credentials just because of where they came from. There is a huge shortage of doctors out there who can't work in our country. If they can pass our boards test and speak English for goodness sake give them a job. I know that being a doctor in the U.S. is more lucrative than it is in Canada so consequently there are thousands of people who don't have a family doctor. This means that our emergency rooms are overrun with people who have non-life threatening illnesses. I often think of the movie Network where because of sagging numbers they fire their aging news anchor. He literally goes on a glorious rant where he urges people the open there windows and yell "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." How many of you out there can relate.

Answer 4

Weight-ism is another one. I'm not overweight but I have two cousins, one overweight and one not. The one that's not sits around and eats all the time, and the overweight one eats less and works more. I know a lot of cases like that. Fat people get stereotyped as lazy pigs, and thin people are seen as having self discipline. There was some woman in the news saying discrimination against fat people was justified because employers know thin people have a good work ethic and self discipline. I've learned personally, nothing could be further from the truth. There are lazy thin people and hard working fat people and visa versa.Scientists have proven that fat has to do with more than just eating and exorcise but society loves their prejudices.

Answer 5

I'm one of the middle baby-boomers, so I'm dealing with people who think if you're hitting 50 all you want to do is walk around the block at most, but I hike, bike, canoe, sail, and sea-kayak. Luckily I'm in a profession that doesn't care as much about age, but that's one of the reasons I got out of the outdoor field. It's very hard to stay in top condition as you age--you can do it, but if you get hurt, it takes longer to heal as well. I didn't want to take a chance with my knees since they are doing ok, but not great. A good friend had to have both knees replaced, and that took her out of the outdoor field, with not much financial support to fall back on either.

Frankly, I'm glad they're going to need boomers to stay and not all retire. I've tried to do most of the things I've always wanted to do before now, so I didn't wait until I was half dead to do them. So I'll be only too happy to work, continue to do things that are important to me, with no regrets. Waiting until you're 50, 60 or 70 to do what's important to you sounds crazy to me. Why wait? You only live once.

Answer 6

how about weightism?
i was very slim and voluptuous and never had to open a door. everyone wanted to be around me and i was usually double booked. now i'm fat. people are polite and if i get invited to the party, it's 'cause EVERYONE'S invited. i'm usually the one that make arrangements and calls others. if i throw something together for dinner, all invitees come. i'm a great cook. but i have found that the after party,dancing or whatever is often done without me. i've sort of quit calling folks

Answer 7

Being a very attractive woman can work against you, too. People see you as being less intelligent and less competent and more likely to use your looks to get ahead. If you do well in your job and get promoted, many people will assume that you somehow exhanged sexual favors with your boss for that promotion. Then you have to deal with constantly being hit on by lecherous older men as well as jealousy from other women.

Answer 8

it really bothers me.
I always try to find a job and i cant as im just 15.

and people wont actually take me seriously if i try to help them in real life as im just lil (most of my friends are older than me).

Answer 9

I agee with you and someday, in the far far reaches of the future, the human species will mature intellectually and leave behind forever, neandrathal man.

Hey! One can only hope...

Answer 10

it bothers me, too. i think aging is natural and beautiful. we get older, more mature, have more financial security, experience more in life. what's wrong with that?

my mother gets upset when she sees women her age that look decades younger. it's a terrible message we're sending to folks.