fixaging

The current perception of the general population is that aging is as constant as taxes. If you ask someone on the street they will say that not much can be done, or that it is natural. This state of mind has to be changed into accepting that something can be done and should be done, and finally energizing them to do something about it.

Beliefs that people hold:

1. Its so far in their personal future – for a 20-30 year old talking of death is such a distant prospect for them that it seems unimportant. Healthy people tend to see death as a very distant prospect, once death is given a name such as cancer or heart disease suddenly that self same person will rail against their fate, which is why most money in health care is spent in the last 7 years of life to combat age related diseases.
2. Nothing can be done – people believe that it is immutable.
3. Want to age – people believe it is the natural order of things to age, and they romanticise old age, blanking out the downsides of reduced mobility, cognition and general ability.
4. There is already too many people in the world – the worlds resources are in finite supply

Arguments to use to turn these beliefs around:

1. Its so far in the future – it may be far in the future for the person in question, but not necessarily for their relatives, so instead appeal to their love for older family and friends. Ask them how they would feel if something were to happen to them.
2. Nothing can be done – until the research is done there can be no actual proof, and once its done we don’t need to convince anyone. However what can be shown is the terrific progress that has been accomplished in other organisms, or to draw parallels to cancer, and heart disease where people once thought these could not be treated.
3. Want to age – this one is simpler, just start reeling off what they are likely to get when older, cancer, diabetes, massive loss of function, get them to put on an old suit. If you don’t have one of these available, how about getting them to squint and telling them that this is how they will see in their old age. If this fails to sway them how about the point that they have a 50% chance to be stuck with a debilitating disease in the last 10 years of their life.
4. There is already enough people in the world – world fertility rates are declining rapidly such that we actually are going to have the opposite problem of declining population

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