Gerontophobia: Rejection Of The Elderly And Getting Old

Nothing makes a society so great as appreciating and serving the older population. Valuing this stage of the life cycle is something that we should all bear more in mind. However, there are attitudes and behaviors that break with this essential principle. Germanophobia, defined as the fear of getting old and repulsion towards the old man himself, is an example of this.

Few facts can be more regrettable, there is no doubt. Moreover, in a context like the current one, the phenomenon of animosity or even invisibility towards the elderly has only increased. Figures like Adela Cortina, philosopher and professor of Ethics at the University of Valencia, for example, even point out that we are witnessing how there are people who think that our elders do not deserve dignity.

It was Emmanuel Kant who also stressed that all human beings, including our elders deserve special and dignified treatment just for being who they are, just for existing. Therefore, we cannot neglect an elderly person just because they are, we cannot exclude support, assistance, affection and the presence of a man or a woman just because they are older.

Gerontophobia: definition and characteristics

Germanophobia or gerascophobia basically defines the pathological fear of aging. It is a clinical phobia that appears in the section on specific phobias of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the DSM-V.

On the other hand, something important should be noted. Although it is true that in some cases we may be facing a clear psychological condition, we can also speak of gerontophobia as a discriminatory social attitude.

That is, beyond the clinical level (of those who compulsively resort to surgery to appear eternal youth) is the social rejection of the elderly. Adela Cortina herself has indicated that in the current pandemic more than one has seen with some relief that a good part of the deceased were elderly people. Germanophobia is also a clear discriminatory attitude.

Characteristics that define this phobia and social rejection

Those who suffer from gerontophobia first of all show an anguish marked by the passage of time and the fact of getting old. However, that fear goes beyond mere physical change. It is much more, we analyze it below:

• People with this type of phobia fear physical weakness, the onset of illness, deterioration, physical pain, and dependency.

• They have a clearly biased view of aging, as if reaching old age is synonymous with disability.
• They associate the passage of time with the absolute loss of attributes: beauty, intelligence, independence and, above all, of continuing to be someone who is valid for oneself and society.
• On the other hand, it is common for those who suffer from gerontophobia to resort to cosmetic surgery operations.

Thought markers of the person with gerontophobia

It is always interesting to highlight the work of the gerontologist Ken Dychtwald on this dimension. Already in the 90s, he anticipated in his book The Age Wave the challenges we were going to face in an increasingly aging society.

According to him, there was a disruptive element that we had to remove from the substrate of our thinking and attitude. It was neither more nor less than gerontophobia and the markers that define it, according to him :

• Thinking that the young is good and the old is bad.
• Take for granted that young people are highly creative and older adults no longer have anything to contribute.
• Suppose that youth is gain and maturity loss.
• Thinking that youth is fun and older people are boring.
• Assume that young people are attractive and older adults unpleasant.
• Youth is passion and maturity concern.
• If the young are the present, the old are the yesterday that is no longer useful.

The dignity of the elderly and the need to revalue our elders

Throughout the pandemic we have seen many examples of gerontophobia. The screenings in hospitals leaving the elderly in the residence to their fate was a sad example at a specific moment. This discriminatory attitude is also compounded by ageism, which is long-established in our society. The worst of all is that these dynamics cost lives, reduce well-being and, above all, dignity.

The hatred of the elderly and the pathological rejection of old age comes from ignorance, from the cult of the young, from those who discriminate against the different because they simply do not understand it, it makes them uncomfortable and reinforces completely wrong stereotypes. Furthermore, gerontophobia is the exercise of immoral behavior, of those who not only fear old age, but also those who exercise supremacist behavior.

All phobia is treated by rationalizing ideas, emotions and in turn exposing yourself to the terrifying focus. In this case, there is something obvious. We will all grow old. The gerontophobic will sooner or later find himself converted into what he fears the most.

Let us therefore hope that when that happens, the society that surrounds him will be sensitive and intelligent enough to treat him as he deserves: with love and humanity.