Anthropologist and columnist for Sheet Mirian Goldenberg developed a theory to explain why aging causes so much anguish in Brazilians — perhaps even more so in Brazilians.
“I study aging not because I got old, but because I want to understand why in Brazilian culture, aging causes so much fear, so much suffering, so many negative representations, and in other cultures, it doesn’t,” said Mirian, who is 65 years old and completes in June. 12 years as a columnist for Sheet.
Last Thursday (19), she met with a group of readers from Sheet to talk about his findings from decades of research on aging and what he calls “old phobia”—the fear and/or prejudice of getting old.
“Why is it so difficult to get old in Brazil? Because in Brazil the body is a real asset, especially for women. Young body, beautiful body, fit body”, said the UFRJ professor, noting that we are among the world’s largest consumers. of items such as plastic surgery, botox and hair dye.
While references to the body were omnipresent in his conversations with Brazilian women, the same was not repeated in the research he conducted in Portugal and Germany.
In a culture where the young body is so valued, getting old causes a lot of suffering
“In Germany, in the three months I spent talking to women, they talked about projects, friends, trips. They didn’t talk about their bodies. They didn’t talk about age. They didn’t even talk about family”, he says.
“If we want so much to be young, what does aging mean? In a culture where the young body is so valued, getting old causes a lot of suffering. And it’s not at the age of 53. At 30, 40, 45, women are already panicking of getting old. We are afraid because our culture values you staying young until you die.”
In old age, she says, the importance becomes that of a life with autonomy. “The outside look gains less value when you discover what is a priority in your life. The older you get, the more you value your time and your relationships.”
I’m terrified of aging
“Mirian, don’t be scared, but I’m terrified of aging,” said reader Claudia Alvarenga, 53, an entrepreneur in São Paulo. One of her main concerns is building lifelong relationships.
Shirley Ruriko, 57, a retired nurse from Campinas (SP), said that she has always been interested in geriatrics and finds the issue of aging fascinating.
Retired university professor Janetti Nogueira de Francischi, 67, from Belo Horizonte (MG), reflected on the conversation.
“The loss of beauty is a very burning thing [no processo do envelhecimento]. It’s what touches us the most. And we need to put the frontal cortex to work and activate all consciousness and understand that each moment is its moment and has its value “.
The loss of beauty is a very burning thing, it is what touches us most
On the other hand, she said she loves it when the columnist writes about sex in aging.
“This is a huge taboo, and when you say those sometimes hairy things I think it’s great, because it’s our life”, he said, laughing.
“I don’t write about it all the time because it doesn’t have that much subject”, replied Mirian, keeping the good humor of the conversation. She says that her most read column was precisely the one entitled “The Sex of Older Women”, 2019.
“You put a lot of emphasis on the issue of the body, and I understand that perfectly, I also experience these dilemmas of the culture focused on beauty and the body. In Rio we live this very intensely, because of the beach issue”, said Desiê Ribeiro, 57, from Rio de Janeiro (RJ).
The retired human resources professional sees other aspects of concern in relation to old age.
“Three aspects that were very important in my decision to retire and give vent to my personal projects: time, autonomy and relationships. However, I am fully aware that I could only make this choice at 55 because I prepared myself for it by life,” he said.
She mentions that Brazil is among the countries with the lowest savings rate in the world and that we ended 2021 with 7 out of 10 Brazilians in debt. “We have greater longevity, an extension of old age, and we are not financially prepared for this. Our reality is that we see people aging with little access to health care, with very high costs and horrible accessibility”, he added.
We have greater longevity, an extension of old age, and we are not financially prepared for this
For Desiê, it is in the community and in collaboration that Brazilians will be able to change the reality of our aging. “It’s debating this in our small nuclei.”
Mirian sees a problem there: she cited research that places Brazil in the last place in terms of trust: only 4.7% of Brazilians trust others. “It means that 95.3% don’t even trust their partner.”
“Introjecting the importance of this relationship of trust, support, real friendship and love is very difficult in a culture of distrust”, he opined.
Conversation with Readers is an initiative of the Interaction editorial to hold a regular chat with readers on topics in evidence, whether politics, economics, international, society, culture, among others. Keep an eye on the website and social networks of Sheet to participate in the next.
For this edition, participants of the Leitoras Project, an initiative of the Sheet to get closer to its female audience. They meet every 15 days in a WhatsApp group to discuss the most diverse topics, from literature to politics, including films with a feminist theme.
To participate, send a message to [email protected], informing your full name, age, city and topics of interest.
Chad-98Weaver, a distinguished author at NewsBulletin247, excels in the craft of article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a penchant for storytelling, Chad delivers informative and engaging content that resonates with readers across various subjects. His contributions are a testament to his dedication and expertise in the field of journalism.
