Facing ageism

José Fernando

“… ven though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day”
Paul 2 – Corinthian 4:16

Scenes from everyday life: elevator line. Four young people ahead, eyes glued to their phones, two elderly people behind them. The elevator doors open. Everyone steps out and the young ones quickly get in, still staring at their screens. When it’s the elderly man’s turn, the door starts closing fast and pushes him back, almost knocking him down, because none of the young people who entered first bothered to hold it.

Another common scene: walking in the mall. An elderly lady, struggling due to severe back pain, heads toward one of those relaxation areas with armchairs in the middle of the corridor. Upon arriving, she discovers that all of them are taken by young people sitting casually, some on their phones, others making out. She stands before one of the chairs, looks at the occupants, and waits. They notice her, indifferent, but do nothing. She gives up and walks away, dragging her pain behind her.

This is the reality faced by those who say they have already “crossed the Cape of Good Hope.” One word has become recurrent to describe this situation: ageism. The dictionary explains that ageism is “discrimination based on age, manifested as prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination against people because of their age, affecting both the young and the elderly, though more commonly associated with discrimination against older adults.” This prejudice shows up in the workplace, in health-related matters, and in social life, generating negative consequences such as exclusion and mental health issues — a trademark of so-called “modern” times.

And to think that elders once held far more value! Let’s go back to the Roman Empire. The Roman Senate was a council of “elders” formed by the patriarchs of patrician families (the pater familias). The position was lifelong, granting immense power and prestige. Over time, other elderly groups, such as wealthy members of other families and former magistrates, also came to join the Senate, especially during the Republic.

They held the highest authority — even the Emperor sought their advice when making important decisions. In fact, the word senator, now somewhat worn out, comes from the Latin senator, derived from senex, meaning “old man” or “elder.”

Another reference to Ancient Rome surprises us. When the barbarians swept down from northern Europe in destructive hordes and invaded the Roman Empire, the authorities’ top concern was evacuating senators and other elders first — only afterward came young women and children, while adult men stayed behind to defend the cities. This was done to ensure that the experience and culture of the long-lived would not be lost.

Returning to our own era: is there anywhere in the world where the elderly are well treated? Fortunately, yes. (1) Writer and National Geographic researcher Dan Buettner, in his remarkable book Blue Zones, investigated the lives of older adults around the world and found — after countless trips and extensive research — places where people can reach 100 years of age with health and vitality. Buettner classified these places as “blue zones,” identifying the following regions: Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), Okinawa (Japan), Nicoya (Costa Rica), and Loma Linda (United States). In his book, later adapted into a Netflix documentary series, he followed the daily lives of residents of these places and shared tips on exercise, specific diets, and ways of social living that foster a pleasurable and healthy old age.

For our comfort, in Brazil, the authorities have begun addressing the hardships of old age. Years ago, the Elderly Statute was enacted. More recently, on June 25, 2025, the Senate’s Human Rights Commission approved Bill 3.332/2023, which makes it a crime for banks, financial institutions, and correspondents to deny credit solely on the basis of age, disability, or clinical condition. It also prohibits them from charging higher interest rates, requiring additional guarantees, or imposing harsher conditions on elderly clients when there is no proven technical or financial justification. Unfortunately, for now, it remains only a bill.

Thankfully, more advanced democratic societies have already begun meeting the expectations of senior populations by creating programs that encourage social engagement, mixing leisure, physical activity, and artistic and cultural development. A society can be seen as evolving when its actions reflect the teachings of the noble Spirits of the Codification who, when answering Kardec, said: “The strong should work for the weak. In the absence of a family, society should replace it. That is the law of charity..” (2)

Perhaps it is still necessary to raise awareness — many people would benefit from hearing Fernanda Montenegro’s words: “this word ‘old’, ugh! They should invent another one! Because it’s already contaminated with ideas like decay and finitude. But the elderly are productive, even though they live in a society that worships only the new.”

And Casimiro Cunha, in his poem “Letter to the Elderly” (3) — a title he would likely change were he alive today — offers us melancholic yet profound and hopeful reflections grounded in the sacred principles of our beloved Doctrine, which we now read below:

(Poem translated literally)

You have come far on this road,
Weary from battle and strain.
Yes, my brother, old age
Is the hour of twilight’s wane.

At times, a sorrowful hour
Of bitter recollections
Of the vessel in which you traveled
Among dreams and projections.

From the mountain’s peak you gaze
Upon the scene below,
And mourn the wrong turns taken
By those starting on their road.

Sometimes you fall silent, saddened.
No one wants to hear your plea,
And you weep because you know
The poisons pleasure can be.

But never lose your courage.
Fulfill your mission still.
Go on enlightening
This world of trial and ill.

Do not despair, for once
You too were called to truth,
And you listened to no one,
Blind in the pride of youth.

You shattered rocks and pathways
Ignoring consequence.
You suffered long — and gained
The gold of experience.

Forgive. For those who’ve lived much
Hold vast comprehension.
Understanding is kindness
That teaches with forgiveness.

Children, youths, and elders,
In human struggle cast,
Are fleeting stages only
Of one day that will not last.

Childhood and youth are morning,
Bright with dawn’s early ray.
Old age is night — but know
Tomorrow dawns another day.

What the world of trial needs
In sorrow and lament
Is that all be old in
The light of understanding’s scent.

Thus, my dear companion,
Do not weary of knowing.
If you have much to teach,
You still have much for growing.

Keep your hope alive.
Hold the peace of the Beloved Master.
Faith in your night shall be
A firmament of stars thereafter.

In the antechamber of Beyond,
May God bless you, my brother,
Expanding along the way
The light within your heart.

References
BUETTNER, Dan. The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons from the World’s Happiest People.
KARDEC, Allan. The Spirits’ Book.
XAVIER, Chico. Parnaso de Além-Túmulo. Poet: Casimiro Cunha (1880–1914).