Ageing in the contemporary world

All societies of our civilization are growing old, people live longer and longer and there are more and more old people. It results in the fact that problems of old people, either individual or of social aspects, are getting one of the crucial tasks for the society nowadays. In fact, there are no grounds to envy or to feel compassion for old people. The old man is a fully normal man, only the old one. We are all growing old…whether we want it or not – and we can only wonder, how it will be, when we get old… Without any doubt, it is important to live as long as possible, but not less important is the quality of life, physical and mental condition, good mood and the most of all – the good health. The old age, may not be a flow of happiness, but it of course has its good prospects and can remain positive. The aim of that study is the attempt to show the status of a man in the process of ageing and all aspects connected with this process. The study should allow us not only to perceive the positive aspects of old age, but also to acquaint ourselves with the mechanism of growing old and show us how to reduce the instinctive fear of growing old and what to do to make this period of our lives bearable and stately. What does it mean to grow old? How does it feel like to be old? How have people tried to prevent the process of ageing in different cultures in the past centuries? How it is being done nowadays? What are the advantages of growing old? The attempt to find the answers for the above mentioned questions is the aim of that study. Its keynote is paradoxically quite optimistic and helps us to stay calm in the face of this inevitable fate we all are going to meet with.