The One-Minute Elder
A WAKE-UP CALL
A WAKE-UP CALL
IT’S GOING TO HIT THE FAN
Are Americans getting too old?
Some people think so. And that “some” is quickly becoming “many.”
A growing number of writers and commentators argue that older adults have accumulated too much wealth, influence, and power. They claim America’s future is increasingly being shaped by people looking backward rather than forward.
The argument goes something like this:
Older people are living longer.
They’re staying in leadership positions longer.
They’re holding onto their wealth longer.
And because there are so many more of them than ever before, they’re exerting an outsized influence on the direction of the country.
In short, America is becoming a gerontocracy, a society run by old people.
Well, that’s one way to look at it.
But I think something else is going on, and we Elders need to understand it.
People are certainly living longer. More than 9,000 Americans turn sixty-five every day. For the first time in human history, we have a massive population living into later life.
Before the culture starts blaming old people for everything from politics to the price of eggs, let’s take a closer look.
Because age is not the problem.
Wealth may be.
People over sixty-five hold about 45 percent of our nation’s wealth. Sounds alarming until you look closer. In 2019, 70% of that wealth (45%) was held by just 10% of seniors.
The issue isn’t old people.
The issue is people with wealth.
Your grandmother is probably not sitting on a mountain of cash, plotting the future of America from her recliner.
A relatively small group of wealthy people holds most of the wealth, and some of them are old.
But here’s the real issue.
Whenever large disparities exist, people look for someone to blame.
That’s true with race.
It’s true with religion.
And in this case, it’s especially true with age.
The wider the gap between the haves and the have-nots, the easier it becomes to create an enemy.
Old versus young.
Boomers versus Millennials.
Retirees versus workers.
The real issue may be disparity, but age becomes the visible target of frustration. That’s how ageism will grow.
SO, WHAT CAN ELDERS DO ABOUT IT?
First, stop defending age and start embodying wisdom.
The younger generations are not impressed that we have managed to stay alive for seventy-five or eighty years.
Longevity is an accomplishment of biology and ecology.
Elderhood is an accomplishment of development.
For the first time in human history, millions of people are living long enough to become Elders.
Not older.
Elders.
People who can think beyond their own interests.
People who can see beyond the next election, the next quarter, or the next social media outrage.
People who understand that every generation inherits the future from the generation before it.
A wealthy older person asks, “How do I keep what I have?”
An Elder asks, “What am I responsible for passing forward?”
This is where Elders can lead.
Not by holding onto power.
Not by occupying positions forever.
Not by insisting they know better.
But by becoming bridge-builders between generations.
Mentors instead of gatekeepers.
Stewards instead of owners.
Contributors instead of competitors.
The future doesn’t need old people running everything.
Nor does it need young people to run everything.
The future needs wisdom at the table.
So to my fellow Elder teachers, leaders, and practitioners: we have work to do.
The alarm is ringing. Time to get up and get to work. The opportunity is sitting right in front of us.
Let’s not waste it.
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