Saturday, June 9, 2018
Biological Age or Psychological Age Part 2
In relating identity to aging, it is clear that this is most important component. For instance, The Dictionary of Psychology defines personal identity as “psychologically, the sense or feeling of being the same person, based on common sensibility and continuity of aims, purposes and memories.” It seems to me that employing a number pertaining to an individual’s chronological age is not a useful description. A more useful description would be more like using the term “psychological age.”
My friend Tony sent me a link with the message “somebody beat you to it.” Tony was referring to my term psychological age. In the link, in question, Disabled World published in 2014 and updated in 2017, what they called, was a real age calculator referred to as Biological Age. They claimed to compare Health Age; with Life Expectancy; and Typical Life Expectancy based on a questionnaire. Their questions employed health, medical, and personal habits to determine these actuarial numbers. Obviously, they employed more questions relating to habits and behaviors than to health and medical. One questionnaire does not fit everyone.
We know that for Homo sapiens about 30% of who we are is based on DNA. Some disease conditions, height, strength and skin color are linked with DNA. I Disagree with John Watson. Based on DNA findings, human nature is not a blank tablet or tabula rasa. Yes, we are social animals and maybe 70% or so of who we are is based on environment, learning and experience. And because of our four basic processes [perception, movement, emotion and thinking] who we are and what we do is heavily influenced by our individual psychology. All our habits, behavior, beliefs, and mood is based on our individual psychology. As a result, psychological age is more inclusive, accurate, encompassing, influencing, and more specific than biological age.
The term psychological age would not only take in aims, purposes, and memories, but more specifically would include important perceptions and expectancies pertaining to levels of physical activity or movement. In order to maintain and sustain activity levels, descriptions of physical and mental health self-talk, mood, feelings, drive and mental toughness are paramount. How an individual trains and conditions for the activity; how and what the individual eats nutritiously; and the other variables like how the individual maintains his life and life space would all be prescribed under the rubric of identity. Another way to put it, identity is not only what the person says about self, but also about the person’s choices and behavior.
My purpose is not to come up with a particular number or tables like in life insurance. My task is to provide insight, understanding and a plan of action to be able to take in discrepant ideas for those wanting to change existing self-defeating patterns and dynamics around both birth and psychological age.
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