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Gerontophobia (from Greek γέρων - gerōn, "old man"[1] and φόβος - phobos, "fear"[2]) is the fear of growing old, or a hatred or fear of the elderly.[3]

Indicators[]

Ken Dychtwald identifies seven markers that can make up this phobia in chapter two of Age Wave: How the Most Important Trend of Our Time Will Change Your Future[4]:

  • If young is good, then old is bad
  • If the young have it all, the old are losing it
  • If the young are creative, the old are dull
  • If the young are beautiful then the old are unattractive
  • If the young are stimulating, then the old are boring
  • If the young are full of passion, then the old are beyond caring
  • If the children are tomorrow, the old represent yesterday

Gerontophobia and ageism[]

Discriminatory aspects of ageism have been strongly linked to gerontophobia.[5] This unreasonable fear or hatred of the elderly is associated with the fact that someday all young people will grow old and that old age is associated with death. This unwillingness to accept death manifests in feelings of hostility and discriminatory acts towards the elderly.[6]

References[]

  1. γέρων, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  2. φόβος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  3. "Gerontophobia, Ageing and Retirement" Current Science, 10 November 2004
  4. Dychtwald, Ken; Flower, Joe (1990). Age wave: the challenges and opportunities of an aging America, New York: Bantam Books.
  5. Bunzel, J. H. "Note on the history of a concept-gerontophobia." Gerontologist 12:116-203.
  6. Levin, J., & Levin, W. C. (1980). Ageism, prejudice and discrimination against the elderly (p. 94). Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub. Co..

See also[]

External links[]


Discrimination
Brain animated color nevit

General forms

Specific forms
Social
Homophobia · Transphobia
Ableism · Sizeism · Adultism
Misogyny · Misandry · Lookism
Gerontophobia · Classism · Elitism

Manifestations
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Ethnocide · Ethnic cleansing · Race war
Religious persecution · Gay bashing
Pedophobia · Ephebiphobia

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Kahanism
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Children's rights · Youth rights
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Law
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Alien and Sedition Acts · Nuremberg Laws
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Anti-discriminatory
List of anti-discrimination acts

Other forms
Nepotism · Cronyism
Colorism · Linguicism
Ethnocentrism · Triumphalism
Adultcentrism · Isolationism
Economic discrimination

Related topics
Prejudice · Supremacism · Intolerance
Tolerance · Diversity · Multiculturalism
Political correctness · Reverse discrimination
Eugenics · Racialism

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