Old Age, Akrasia, and Escaping the Flawed Self
Evidence of one compelling strategy for managing this challenge
In the new TV series on Netflix, Man on the Inside, about life in a retirement community, the statement is made: “The biggest threat to senior’s well-being isn’t an accident or physical ill health it’s loneliness. “
My story is about discovering my limitations in following the well-supported advice that the best way to cope with aging is to find friends and become socially engaged.
Elders and Limited Social Life
The above phrase resonated with me big time. Not long ago, I read several research studies that showed that seniors were too often disadvantaged by having a social life that was too limited. This caused premature heart problems and even cancer.
In recent essays about the topic, I expressed a firm conviction that healthy aging requires making friends and finding favorable social surroundings as much as possible. Enumerable studies made the case for more sociability and friendship formation.
I fell for the thesis, hook, line, and sinker. A full range of health problems was presented as avoidable, including cancer and heart disease. Most importantly, these threats could be modified if one took the ‘medicine’ of finding new friends and spending time…
