We’ve all heard the old adage, ‘you’re only as old as you feel.’ It’s true, up to a point. But the March 23 issue of Time magazine has an article by Catherine Mayer on Amortality. No, that’s not a misprint. Amortality is her coined word for those who insist on acting, dressing behaving the same at 40, 50 or 60 or beyond as they did when they were teenagers.
It strikes me that sometimes this is also at the heart of marriage problems. Men and women are searching for this secret to staying young and as a result end up behaving in later life the same way as when they were young and dating. Instead of being committed to the one they are married to and seeking to improve that relationship, it’s a case of looking at what else is out there, and looking for a younger, more attractive partner.
Isn’t it this sort of attitude that results in women and men taking Viagra and other similar pills, undergoing Botox, looking for an affair, buying a sports car, or the latest giant screen Plasma TV or home theatre. Isn’t it basically the cause of things like mid life crisis?
It’s this sort of attitude that leads to people spending heaps on the latest toys in the music, computer and DVD industry, buying myriad gadgets and in having fun and often ignoring responsibility to spouse and family as they spend on themselves and their wants. It’s all about self rather than anyone else. That’s reflected in our advertisements that tell us, ‘because you’re worth it,’ and ‘you’re the most important person’ etc.
We seem to have lost the concept of aging gracefully as if there is something wrong with being older. Instead we are trying to pretend, it’s not happening by living, acting and looking like we are still young. And marriages and relationships suffer in the process, because the attitude is all about self. Would you agree that this is at the heart of many marriage problems today?
Please visit these related blogs
What Do Men and Women Look For in an Affair?