Introduction
Successful aging is a definition that has been widely accepted in the scientific community since the early 60s, and it still has not lost its relevance. Medical specialists and theorists of psychology create a variety of concepts and definitions that in their opinion most fully reflect the idea of successful aging.
The considered article “Resilience in Later Adulthood and Old Age: Resources and Potentials for Successful Aging” written by Greve and Staudinger (2015) offers a systematization of this vague concept. The presented model of successful aging includes six interrelated aspects: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, and professional. It is possible to allocate the general components in the concept of the authors.
Main body
A physical component that includes the following subcategories is health, nutrition, exercise, and appearance. The psychological part consists of some subcategories reflecting the willingness to change, positive emotions and attitudes, openness to new experiences, and the desire for independence. The cognitive component is represented by cognitive activity; it is aimed at mastering new experiences. The social component is presented by subcategories: relationships with family and friends, as well as recreation and hobbies. Particular attention is paid to learning, social roles, and culturally expected behavior.
Components of the professional aspect of successful aging, according to Greve and Staudinger, are: “career choices, job enjoyment, and productivity” (814). Spiritual and material components were described not so detailed as others. The authors identified the following subcategories of the spiritual dimension: religion, inner peace (for example, realizing the value of life after an illness), faith, and altruistic behavior.
Conclusion
While most definitions of successful aging are based on the systematization of as many categories as possible, it seems more rational to assess the success of human aging by their individual needs. Some people do not need money and career heights to feel fulfilled in life. For example, some people want to develop themselves intellectually and spiritually; such people are less prone to all sorts of dementia because their mind is continually getting loads.
Based on the above, although the structure proposed by Greve and Staudinger gives a comprehensive terminological understanding of the issue, it seems that the successful aging for each person is something different. It is most closely intertwined with the fulfillment of human desires and ultimately impossible without finding harmony in the world and inside.
Work Cited
Greve, Werner, and Ursula M. Staudinger. “Resilience in Later Adulthood and Old Age: Resources and Potentials for Successful Aging.” Developmental Psychopathology, Volume Three: Risk, Disorder, and Adaptation, vol. 3, 2016, pp. 796-840.