5 Quotes About Aging That Will Make You Love Getting Old

Wrinkles are a luxury — never a source of shame or fear.

Aging is frightening for many.

We fear growing too feeble to do what we want. We worry we might someday lose our minds and forget those we love. We lie awake at night, listening to the clock tick by, wondering if once our youth is gone, we’ll become invisible — inconsequential.

In large part, our modern society is to blame. Old age is rarely celebrated, especially if you’re a woman. Campaigns about the advantages of aging barely receive attention, whereas the anti-aging industry is estimated to be worth about 58.5 billion U.S. dollars.

Over and over, we’re fed a toxic message: Young is good; old is bad.

It wasn’t until I stumbled upon the quotes below that I realized that both young and old are good, that the fear of aging is often mistaken. Hopefully, they’ll also help you rethink what aging means for you.

“Getting old is like climbing a mountain; you get a little out of breath, but the view is much better!”

— Ingrid Bergman

At first glance, this quote is about how the older you are, the better the memories you have at your disposal. Looking back becomes more pleasurable than any movie. Reminiscing with friends sparks more enjoyable conversations than the latest basketball game.

But the quote is about much more than that. It’s also about one of the greatest advantages of growing old: perspective.

When I recall how I reacted to arguments with loved ones when I was a teenager, I cringe. Not even a telenovela could match the level of drama of those interactions. Every little offense felt like the end of the world.

Now that I’m nearing my thirties, though, I rarely have heated arguments. More years on this earth have taught me that not every battle is worth fighting and that you lose an argument when you lose your temper (still a work in progress).

However, compared to my grandfather, I’m a drama queen.

The emotional intelligence he’s developed in his eighty years is astounding. Instead of getting upset, he follows the mantra of, “if a problem has a solution, solve it; if it doesn’t, it isn’t a problem.”

Now that he’s way up in the mountain of life, he can look back, admire the view, and see problems for what they really are, a skill many young people would kill for.

“I can’t wait until I’m old and become invisible.”

— A friend

Becoming invisible is one of the reasons we fear aging.

When we’re young, it seems as though everyone is invested in us. From our parents to our bosses, everyone wants to discuss our future and offer us unsolicited advice. Everyone is watching when we succeed — and fail.

Once we grow older, though, the spotlight shifts to the new young generation (millennials are currently going through this phase). My grandfather often jokes about how no one cares about what he thinks or does anymore.

But society’s disinterest isn’t necessarily a curse. It can be a gift.

A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry proved this by collecting extensive data on the overall health and happiness of 1.524 people, ages 21 to 99. To the researchers’ surprise, older people are the happiest, whereas those in their twenties or thirties report the highest unhappiness due to stress, depression, and anxiety.

That’s why one of my closest friends can’t wait to be old. She doesn’t like being young because she feels like she’s constantly being monitored and judged. She often feels pressure to be the best at everything, making her fearful of any misstep.

To her, society’s disinterest would be a blessing. “My grandparents are always doing things that would make others judge me,” she says, “and they get away with them unscathed. That’s awesome.”

“Age is inevitable. Aging isn’t.”

— Marv Levy

Another of the big fears of getting old is the disease and disability that often follow. We never want to feel like a burden to our loved ones, or worse, like we’re trapped in our bodies.

But recent research has shown that age and poor aging don’t have to go hand in hand. Octogenarians like Norman Lazarus — who even now continues to cycle thousands of miles every year — show us age is just a number and that the tiny choices we make every day are what determine whether we’ll suffer the ravages of poor aging or enjoy overall good health.

If we exercise regularly, maintain a healthy diet, and avoid the most common vices (smoking and drinking), we don’t have to fear our twilight years. As long as we’re mindful of the present, we can look to the future with excitement.

“Don’t waste so much time worrying about your skin or your weight. Develop what you do, what you put your hands on in the world.”

— Meryl Streep

My mother and an acquaintance of hers share nothing except their age. Both are nearing their sixties, but while my mother has settled into her larger body and wrinkled skin with a contagious sense of humor, her acquaintance has spent a fortune in plastic surgeries to hold on to her youth.

My mother exercises and eats well to keep herself healthy, but she doesn’t waste time mourning her twenty-year-old image. She and her many friends often joke about the changes in their bodies but don’t worry about them. They’re too busy sharing their hobbies, traveling to exotic destinations, and being there for each other.

My mother’s acquaintance, though, is always alone. She resembles a statue, forgotten in a museum. She’s so obsessed with how she looks, she’s pushed people away.

People don’t love you for how you look. Like Meryl Streep says (not that she could ever be anything less than gorgeous), what matters is what you bring into the world, the smiles you can bring to people’s faces.

Though it’s as cliche as it gets, the beauty that helps you connect with others and experience love is within.

“Do not complain about growing old. It is a privilege denied to many.”

— Mark Twain

This is perhaps the quote that has most changed my perspective on aging.

I was following the Instagram account of a friend from college, a 28-year-old guy who died from cancer. A few days after his death, someone close to him — a parent or a close friend — posted this quote from Mark Twain.

It crushed me. It reminded me how silly we truly are when we complain about grey hair or wrinkles. If anything, they’re proof that we’re still here.

Growing old is a privilege we should appreciate more. We should marvel at every new wrinkle. See it as a reminder that we’re still here when so many didn’t even have the choice to complain.

Aging can be frightening, but it’s also one of life’s biggest gifts. We get to become wiser, wear Harry Potter’s cloak of invisibility, and all while enjoying overall good health (if we’ve done our homework).

Wrinkles are a luxury —never a source of shame or fear.

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