Elderly, Gifted

The productivity and ingenuity of those who remain engaged in or discover new talents in the later years of life directly challenge negative perceptions of aging. Contemporary cultural messages overwhelmingly place value upon newness and youth and deride that which is old or aged. Negative stereotypes of the elderly frequently include images of unavoidable decline including poor physical health, loneliness, loss of independence, expectations of age-related memory impairment, and an increase in the prevalence of depression or irritability. These beliefs about the elderly are being challenged as life expectancy continues to increase and the maturing momentum of the world's population adds strength to the pursuit of successful aging and optimization of well-being in the later years. As such, talent development and giftedness in later life ...