swimming every day), and then the subject examined the photo again. In the hearing-impaired sample,
the statement about the activity was signed. For the Chinese
groups, the photos were of elderly Chinese. All subjects were
then shown the photos and asked to give us the matched activity.
The three groups of young subjects performed similarly on
the memory task, as we had predicted. The elder Deaf and
elder Chinese participants clearly outperformed the elder hearing group. There was no difference in memory performance
between the two Chinese age groups.
We also rated the views toward aging in these three cultures
by having subjects in each group answer the question, "What are
the first five words or descriptions that come to mind when
thinking of somebody old?" Answers were evaluated for positivity by raters who were unaware of the culture or age of the subject. We found that these views correlated with the performance
of the three groups, that is, negative views correlated with poorer
performance in the older groups. These results support the view
that cultural beliefs about aging play a role in determining the
degree of memory loss that people experience in old age.
The rigid mindsets we hold about ourselves affect our performance. These mindsets, including our beliefs about old age,
are often unwittingly accepted at a time when they may seem
irrelevant to our current concerns. Children who do not care
about school may accept negative assessments of their abilities.
Later, when they come to care about the particular abilities in
question, these assessments are already fixed in their minds. At
that point the damage is done. The mindset does not get
tested; it is treated as though it is necessarily true. This may be
how we accept the so-called inevitable memory decline with
age. If we are led to believe that we have poor memories or that
we are poor students, these mindsets can become self-fulfilling
prophecies.
The negative assumption about mental capacity in old age
can be seen in many adult education courses. Although there is
no reason to believe that information imparted to older people
should differ from that taught in colleges, catalogs aimed at
older adults are filled with far more narrow topics. They typically deal with retirement and health issues or with lightweight
courses in appreciating art or music. The experience of younger
people in college courses may be shortchanged by the absence of
older adults. Older adults are more likely to have had experiences that tell us that the new facts being imparted are more
true in some contexts than in others. Diversity provokes mindfulness. Their more extensive and varied experiences may reveal
the meaningfulness of certain information that would otherwise
appear irrelevant. Not only is education not wasted on the old
but, without their participation, it may be wasted on the young.
A man who lived on the northern frontier of
China was skilled in interpreting events. One
day, for no reason, his horse ran away to the
nomads across the border. Everyone tried to console him, but his father said, "What makes you so
sure this isn't a blessing?" Some months later his
horse returned, bringing a splendid nomad stallion. Everyone congratulated him, but his father
said, "What makes you so sure this isn't a disaster?" Their household was richer by a fine horse,
which his son loved to ride. One day he fell and
broke his hip. Everyone tried to console him, but
his father said, "What makes you so sure this isn't
a blessing?"
A year later the nomads came in force across the border, and
every able-bodied man took his bow and went into battle. The Chinese frontiersmen lost nine of every ten men. Only because the son
was lame did the father and son survive to take care of each other. Truly, blessing turns to disaster, and disaster to blessing: the changes
have no end, nor can the mystery be fathomed.
The Lost Horse
CHINESE
the statement about the activity was signed. For the Chinese
groups, the photos were of elderly Chinese. All subjects were
then shown the photos and asked to give us the matched activity.
The three groups of young subjects performed similarly on
the memory task, as we had predicted. The elder Deaf and
elder Chinese participants clearly outperformed the elder hearing group. There was no difference in memory performance
between the two Chinese age groups.
We also rated the views toward aging in these three cultures
by having subjects in each group answer the question, "What are
the first five words or descriptions that come to mind when
thinking of somebody old?" Answers were evaluated for positivity by raters who were unaware of the culture or age of the subject. We found that these views correlated with the performance
of the three groups, that is, negative views correlated with poorer
performance in the older groups. These results support the view
that cultural beliefs about aging play a role in determining the
degree of memory loss that people experience in old age.
The rigid mindsets we hold about ourselves affect our performance. These mindsets, including our beliefs about old age,
are often unwittingly accepted at a time when they may seem
irrelevant to our current concerns. Children who do not care
about school may accept negative assessments of their abilities.
Later, when they come to care about the particular abilities in
question, these assessments are already fixed in their minds. At
that point the damage is done. The mindset does not get
tested; it is treated as though it is necessarily true. This may be
how we accept the so-called inevitable memory decline with
age. If we are led to believe that we have poor memories or that
we are poor students, these mindsets can become self-fulfilling
prophecies.
The negative assumption about mental capacity in old age
can be seen in many adult education courses. Although there is
no reason to believe that information imparted to older people
should differ from that taught in colleges, catalogs aimed at
older adults are filled with far more narrow topics. They typically deal with retirement and health issues or with lightweight
courses in appreciating art or music. The experience of younger
people in college courses may be shortchanged by the absence of
older adults. Older adults are more likely to have had experiences that tell us that the new facts being imparted are more
true in some contexts than in others. Diversity provokes mindfulness. Their more extensive and varied experiences may reveal
the meaningfulness of certain information that would otherwise
appear irrelevant. Not only is education not wasted on the old
but, without their participation, it may be wasted on the young.
A man who lived on the northern frontier of
China was skilled in interpreting events. One
day, for no reason, his horse ran away to the
nomads across the border. Everyone tried to console him, but his father said, "What makes you so
sure this isn't a blessing?" Some months later his
horse returned, bringing a splendid nomad stallion. Everyone congratulated him, but his father
said, "What makes you so sure this isn't a disaster?" Their household was richer by a fine horse,
which his son loved to ride. One day he fell and
broke his hip. Everyone tried to console him, but
his father said, "What makes you so sure this isn't
a blessing?"
A year later the nomads came in force across the border, and
every able-bodied man took his bow and went into battle. The Chinese frontiersmen lost nine of every ten men. Only because the son
was lame did the father and son survive to take care of each other. Truly, blessing turns to disaster, and disaster to blessing: the changes
have no end, nor can the mystery be fathomed.
The Lost Horse
CHINESE
Similar Books
