Denying Ageist Pressure: The Revolution of ‘Late Blooms’

Life’s journey, with its unique blossoms, should not be confined by a conventional chronology dictating specific milestones at predetermined ages.

Some academic studies have been urging us to rethink these expectations, highlighting the growing discrepancy between the conventional perception of the ideal age to achieve certain milestones and the diversity of life paths that modern reality offers us.

One such study, conducted at Stanford University in 2018, involving participants aged 25 to 94, highlighted, among its results, the disconnect between conventional expectations and the realities of modern life. Pressures to marry, buy a house, and start a family around the ages of 26 to 28 no longer align with the economic complexities and varied aspirations of people. The costs associated with university education and inflation are just some factors diverting many young individuals from these traditional milestones.

The emphasis on conventional timelines often results in feelings of inadequacy and anxiety, as it fails to comprehend the complexity of life, where success cannot be measured by a checklist of achievements at specific moments. The ageist mindset, which sets goals at certain life stages, can obscure unique journeys of growth and fulfillment.

Therefore, the concept of “late blooms,” the title of this week’s article, emerges as a different way of coping and as a potential solution to confronting this ageist pressure. It is based on the idea that personal development can occur at different stages of life for different individuals.

It understands that in modernity, filled with medical, technological, and social innovations, there are opportunities to explore new paths beyond traditional temporal limitations. Thus, diversity in life’s journey is not an exception but a rule.

From this perspective, freeing ourselves from the idea of a single “correct” timeline for everyone, in an impoverishing “standard” conception that denies possibilities and more unique, self-authored life projects, becomes a necessity.

Put differently, life can be seen as a tapestry of opportunities, challenges, and unique transformations. Instead of constantly comparing ourselves and conforming to conventional expectations, we should consider our own journeys with compassion and an open mind. Laura Carstensen, director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, notes that younger generations are delaying traditional milestones. However, this process doesn’t need to be confined to early adulthood but can be spread throughout life, avoiding long periods of stagnation in later years. “People are doing exactly what they should be doing,” she says.

So, instead of fighting against predefined patterns, we can create our unique journeys and, in doing so, leave our personal mark.

Life is possibility and openness to experiences, learnings, and growth, and it should not be imprisoned by rigid and anachronistic expectations.

Understanding that we can conceive our own timelines and find meaning in each phase, celebrating achievements regardless of when they occur, allows us to create conditions where we can, at various points in our existence, deny the pressure of conventional chronology and flourish on our own terms.

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