2 of 115

Write now Article Tools

Are people getting younger? It certainly seems that way. A 40-year-old used to be way over the hill. Now, the expression "Life begins at 40" is more true than ever before.

There are any number of reasons why life has gotten so much better for those with a few more miles on their odometer. In the first place, people are living longer than ever before. It use to be that 60 was old. Now we're not even sure that 80 is.

Medical knowledge has increased exponentially, so that it is easier than ever to maintain your body in good shape well into your senior years. Better treatments for arthritis, cancer, and other diseases of aging have turned many previously incapacitating diagnoses into minor incoveniences.

College used to be for a select few 20-somethings. Now lifelong learning has become an admirable pursuit for anyone who wants to give it a try. Seniors study for the degree they never had time for and pursue the interest that always intrigued them, from painting to skydiving.

It used to be that the religion, gender, and ethnic group you were born into dictated your beliefs, your associates, your life choices, and your mate. Now society has become open to idea that people need to seek their own path, and prejudice and discrimination against woman and minorities are steadily decreasing. The right to pursue happiness has been given a whole new meaning.

Society no longer views a failed marriage or a lost job as the end of the road. People can and do reinvent themselves over and over again. Technology and life now change so fast that jobs are constantly opening in fields that didn't even exist a decade ago. Success in life now depends more on openess to new ideas and on willingness to learn than on chronological age.

Learn more about this author, Emily Wickersham.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Is 40 really the new 30??
We want to hear your view. Write now!