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Fear of ageing is really a fear of the unknown – and modern society is making things worse

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chao-fang-1010933">Chao Fang</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-liverpool-1198">University of Liverpool</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alastair-comery-1501915">Alastair Comery</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bath-1325">University of Bath</a></em></p> <p>For the first time in human history, we have entered an era in which reaching old age is taken for granted. Unlike in ages past, when living to an older age was a luxury afforded mainly to the privileged, globally around <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TO65.FE.ZS?locations=1W">79% of women</a> and <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TO65.MA.ZS?locations=1W">70% of men</a> can expect to reach the age of 65 and beyond.</p> <p>Despite longer life expectancy, many people in the contemporary west see growing old as undesirable and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/apr/02/ageing-and-the-mortality-alarm-i-started-panicking-about-future-me">even scary</a>. Research shows, however, that anxiety about ageing may in fact be <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0164027500225004">fear of the unknown</a>.</p> <p>Society’s <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/articles/199409/learning-love-growing-old">focus on youthfulness</a> and <a href="https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psychology-teacher-network/introductory-psychology/ableism-negative-reactions-disability">capability</a> can cause anxiety about becoming weak and unwanted. Adverts for anti-ageing products <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-20th-century-rejuvenation-techniques-gave-rise-to-the-modern-anti-ageing-industry-133569">are everywhere</a>, reinforcing the idea that growing older is inherently unattractive.</p> <p>Some people fear ageing so much that it becomes a pathological condition <a href="https://mind.help/topic/gerascophobia/">called gerascophobia</a>, leading to irrational thoughts and behaviour, for example, a fixation on health, illness and mortality and a preoccupation with hiding the signs of ageing.</p> <p>We frequently hear about attempts to reverse ageing, often by the super rich. For example, <a href="https://fortune.com/well/2023/01/26/bryan-johnson-extreme-anti-aging/">Bryan Johnson</a>, a 45-year-old American entrepreneur, is spending millions of dollars a year to obtain the physical age of 18.</p> <p>While the desire to reverse ageing is not a new phenomenon, advancements in biomedicine have brought it closer.</p> <p>Work published by genetics professor <a href="https://lifespanbook.com/">David Sinclair</a> at Harvard University in 2019 suggests that it may be possible to challenge the limits of cell reproduction to extend our lifespan, for example. His <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00527-6">information theory of ageing</a> argues that <a href="https://epigeneticsandchromatin.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-8935-6-3">reprogramming DNA</a> can improve damaged and old tissues, and delay or even reverse ageing. However, these new possibilities can also heighten our fear of ageing.</p> <h2>From the unproductive to undervalued</h2> <p>People haven’t always dreaded growing older. In many societies, older people used to be widely regarded as wise and important – and in some they still are.</p> <p>In ancient China, there was a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/605890">culture</a> of respecting and seeking advice from older family members. There is still an ethos of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6363941/">filial piety</a> (showing reverence and care for elders and ancestors) today, even if it’s not as pronounced as it used to be. The same went for <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ageing-and-society/article/abs/old-age-in-the-dark-ages-the-status-of-old-age-during-the-early-middle-ages/3699DC4100DE852BDA1E1B3BBF33DDBC">medieval Europe</a>, where older people’s experiences and wisdom were highly valued.</p> <p>However, the industrial revolution in the west from the 18th century led to a cultural shift where older people <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1014358415896">became excluded from society</a> and were considered unproductive. People who had surpassed the age to work, alongside those with incurable diseases, were regarded by society as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13607860903228762">“evils”</a> in need of assistance.</p> <p>The treatment of older people has taken a different form since the early 20th century. The introduction of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/30/business/retirement/why-the-world-needs-to-rethink-retirement.html">universal pension systems</a> made ageing a central concern in welfare systems. But as the demands for social and health care have increased, journalists increasingly portray ageing as a <a href="https://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-news/archive/older-people-feel-a-burden-to-society/">burden</a> on society.</p> <p>Consequently, growing older is often associated with managing the risk of ill health and alleviating the onus of care from younger relatives. This can result in the <a href="https://utpjournals.press/doi/abs/10.3138/utq.90.2.09">institutionalisation</a> of older people in residential facilities that keep them hidden, sequestered from the awareness of younger generations.</p> <p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0164027500225004">Research</a> analysing the responses of 1,200 US adults from the American Association of Retired Persons’ Images of Ageing survey shows that much of the perceived fear of ageing is closely aligned with the fear of the unknown, rather than the ageing process itself. This fear is only exacerbated by the largely separate lives lived by older and younger generations.</p> <p>The prevalence of nuclear families and the decline of <a href="https://www.cpc.ac.uk/docs/BP45_UnAffordable_housing_and_the_residential_separation_of_age_groups.pdf">traditional mixed-generational communities</a> have deprived younger people of the opportunity to more fully understand the experiences of older people. Plus, the rapid increase in <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/why-its-more-difficult-for-young-people-to-buy-a-house-now-than-it-was-fifty-years-ago-12537254">house prices</a> means many young people cannot afford to live near their older relatives.</p> <p>The separation of older people from children and young people has sparked generational conflicts that seemingly continue to <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2017/05/04/britains-generational-divide-has-never-been-wider">grow wider than ever</a>. Older people are frequently portrayed in the media as conservative and privileged, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/12/old-young-gap-britain-generation-dysfunctional-family">making it difficult</a> for younger generations to comprehend why older people act and think the way they do.</p> <h2>Intergenerational interactions</h2> <p>Academics suggest that creating <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.996520/full">a system</a> for older and younger generations to interact in everyday settings is vital.</p> <p>A set of three <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5031197/#bjso12146-bib-0004">UK-based studies</a> in 2016 analysed and compared the effects of direct contact, extended contact and interactions between younger (aged 17 to 30) and older people (65 and over). The findings indicated that good quality direct intergenerational contact can improve young people’s attitudes towards older adults (especially when sustained over time).</p> <p>Intergenerational programmes have been adopted globally, including mixed and <a href="https://www.cohousing.org/multigenerational-cohousing/">intergenerational housing</a>, <a href="https://www.nurseryinbelong.org.uk/intergenerational-choir-hits-high-note-at-belong-chester/">community choirs</a> and <a href="https://www.shareable.net/how-sharing-can-bring-japans-elderly-and-youth-together/">senior volunteers reading to young children in nurseries</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10433-018-00497-4">Studies show</a> that these activities can not only enhance the wellbeing of older people but also help younger people gain an appreciation of ageing as a valuable and fulfilling life stage.</p> <p>Getting worried about growing older is normal, just as we experience anxieties in other stages of life, such as adolescence and marriage. But here’s the thing – instead of seeing ageing as a looming figure, it is important to realise it is just a part of life.</p> <p>Once we understand ageing as a regular experience, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/changepower/202106/do-you-have-fogo-taming-the-fear-getting-old">we can let go</a> of these worries and approach the journey through different life stages with a positive attitude and a fortified will to enrich our lives and the lives of those around us.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220925/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chao-fang-1010933"><em>Chao Fang</em></a><em>, Lecturer in Sociology, Deputy Director of the Centre for Ageing and the Life Course, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-liverpool-1198">University of Liverpool</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alastair-comery-1501915">Alastair Comery</a>, PhD Candidate, Sociology, Centre for Death and Society, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bath-1325">University of Bath</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/fear-of-ageing-is-really-a-fear-of-the-unknown-and-modern-society-is-making-things-worse-220925">original article</a>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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12 unknown cruise ports that will amaze you

<p>Sail away to these hidden gems.</p> <p><strong>1. Cienfuegos, Cuba</strong></p> <p>Laid-back French charm meets the fiery Caribbean spirit in this charming town on the southern coast of Cuba. Known as The Pearl of the South, its famous for its well-preserved architecture, lush botanical gardens and sparkling sandy beaches.</p> <p><strong>2. Khasab, Oman</strong></p> <p>The Middle East is emerging as one of the most exciting new cruise destinations in the world. Khasab is a former Portuguese colony and the capital of the Musandam Peninsula, an area known as the Norway of Oman for its many beautiful fjords running into the sea.</p> <p><strong>3. Thursday Island, Australia</strong></p> <p>Part of the rarely-visited Torres Strait Islands, TI (as it is known) has a unique mix of Melanesian and indigenous cultures set on a tiny sandy island fringed by aquamarine water. It also has a long pearling history with farms still operating in the region.</p> <p><strong>4. Puerto Limon, Costa Rica</strong></p> <p>The Caribbean is the most popular cruise destination in the world, but there are still new places to discover. Choose Puerto Limon for its proximity to virgin rainforest teeming with monkeys, crocodiles and sloths.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="333" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/45924/unknown-cruise-port-intext_500x333.jpg" alt="Unknown Cruise Port Intext"/></p> <p><strong>5. Monemvasia, Greece</strong></p> <p>Known as the Gibraltar of the East, this small island is dominated by sheer cliffs rising straight up from the sea. The walled medieval village is made up of narrow alleyways, carved stone buildings and historic churches, with a population of just 20 permanent residents.</p> <p><strong>6. Hambantota, Sri Lanka</strong></p> <p>This new cruise port is the gateway to southern Sri Lanka and the Bundala and Yala national parks. Take an excursion to see leopards, elephants, flamingoes, monkeys, monitor lizards, crocodiles and lots more.</p> <p><strong>7. Akureyi, Iceland</strong></p> <p>Annual tourist numbers in Iceland are now more than seven times its population, but many don’t go further afield than Reykjavik. Akureyi is the heart of Iceland’s Arctic north, a small but buzzy city with great galleries, cafes and restaurants tucked away at the head of the country’s longest fjord.</p> <p><strong>8. Tristan da Cunha</strong></p> <p>Get way, way off the beaten track with a cruise to ‘the remotest island on earth’. Tristan da Cunha is a British Overseas Territory midway between South America and Africa in the South Atlantic. It takes seven days at sea to get there, but you’ll be rewarded with rugged volcanic peaks and waters teeming with turtles.</p> <p><strong>9. Morondava, Madagascar</strong></p> <p>A laid-back seaside town that’s the gateway to some of the most incredible wildlife on earth, Morondava is a new stop for expedition lines. Don't miss the Allees de Baobabs, a prominent group of the iconic Madagascan tree.</p> <p><strong>10. Hirara, Japan</strong></p> <p>The Okinawa Prefecture is considered the Hawaii of Japan, a long chain of islands with white sand beaches fronting clear blue ocean. Hirara is on the island of Miyako, home to the region’s best beaches as well as sprawling sugarcane fields and a 16<sup>th</sup> century samurai tomb.</p> <p><strong>11. Newcastle, Australia</strong></p> <p>Move over Sydney – New South Wales has a new port that cruisers are going to love. A dedicated cruise terminal is currently being built to welcome passengers keen to explore this former industrial hub or take day trips out to the iconic Hunter Valley wine region.</p> <p><strong>12. Gizo Island, Solomon Islands</strong></p> <p>The South Pacific is the most popular cruise destination in our region, but if you’re looking for something that’s still off the beaten track then head for the Sollys. Gizo has some of the clearest water in the world and is great for snorkelling or diving, plus there’s some fascinating WWII history.</p> <p>Have you ever visited any of these ports? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Cruising

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25 insurance traps catching people out

<p>Insurance policies don't make for riveting reading, but they are full of traps for the unwary.</p> <p>While insurers, banks and fund managers are experts with big lawyers to help them limit liabilities, the man or woman in the street is expected to digest many contracts relying largely on their own savvy and skills.</p> <p>There are traps that can lead to loss with the likes of credit cards, mortgages, and financial guarantees, but nowhere are they more numerous than in car, home, and contents insurance.</p> <p>Not being stimulating reading, it's tempting to just assume your policies will provide cover if something awful happens.</p> <p>But that could mean discovering your error after a claim when it is just too late.</p> <p>So here is a list of 25 traps that can lead to claims being declined, contracts ripped up, or expectations disappointed.</p> <p>1. Initial "non-disclosure": This is not telling the insurer something "material" when taking out insurance. You need to answer every question asked honestly, and accurately. This includes telling it all about things like criminal, driving and insurance history.</p> <p>2. Speeding tickets: You have to tell the insurer if anything material changes during the course of your policy. This includes every speeding ticket you get and any criminal convictions of anybody covered by the policy.</p> <p>3. Modifying cars: Cars are covered to factory specifications. Add things like expensive stereos that make them more nickable, and you need to tell your insurer.</p> <p>4. Modifying homes: If any part of the home is being constructed, de-constructed or undergoing alterations, it is unlikely to be covered under your house insurance. AMP General warns special "site cover" is needed when renovations and extensions are underway.</p> <p>5. No right to silence: Commit a crime, and you can stay tight-lipped to Police. There's no right to silence under insurance contracts. ANZ's house policy says: "You must provide any information and assistance we reasonably request in considering, negotiating, defending, undergoing or settling any claim against your policy." That means telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to it and its investigators, no matter how damning.</p> <p>6. Taking over your civil case: Crash your car into a Porsche, and the Porsche owner's insurer may decide to sue you. Costs will be covered under your car insurance, but only if you allow your insurer to run your case, including giving it the power to settle, even if you want to fight on.</p> <p>7. Admitting guilt: rear-end someone, and it may be tempting to apologise. Take care. You must not admit guilt, or any legal liability without your insurer's permission.</p> <p>8. Variable excesses: You may have a $300 excess on your car insurance, but if you lend the car to a driver under the age of 25, it can jump as high as $1200. Similarly, a contents policy may have an excess of $250. But if you take in a boarder or flatmate it can suddenly jump to $500.</p> <p>9. Sum insured: The awfulness of a house fire could get worse, if you discover that you have set the sum insured too low. If you set it too low then you will have to rebuild smaller, or pay the difference.</p> <p>10. What's not covered: House insurance policies generally won't include driveways, paths, patios, bridges, culverts, wharfs and "special features", so check what they may be.</p> <p>11. Right to cancel: Insurers like AA Insurance purport to have the right to cancel a policy by simply notifying a policyholder. They don't need a reason.</p> <p>12. Paying claims to someone else: When you sign up to insurance, you must specify if someone like a mortgage-lender or finance company has a financial interest in the property being insured. If you do specify one, the insurer may settle the claim with them.</p> <p>14. Joint compliance: On a mortgage, a couple are jointly, and severally liable. Insurance policies are similar. If you co-own a home, their non-disclosure could result in the policy being avoided and your insurability damaged.</p> <p>15. Reasonable care: Policies require you to take reasonable care. Leave your car unlocked, or with a spare key behind the sun visor, then you could find a claim gets turned down. It also means ensuring vehicles are roadworthy. Expect to have your car tyre treads checked after an accident.</p> <p>16. Off road: Taking your vehicle "off-road" means entering an uninsured zone in some policies. As the AA Insurance policy says off-road means "unsealed surfaces, rough terrain, a beach, sand dunes, a river, a riverbed or for hill climbing regardless of whether or not your vehicle is designed for off-road use." Some "off-road" places like boat ramps, car parks, or a access roads are okay.</p> <p>17. Their choice: Many policies let insurers choose how to pay a claim. They choose to repair or rebuild a home, or pay the homeowner cash, or they choose who repairs a car. If they agree to let you choose, they will only pay what the repair or rebuild would have cost them.</p> <p>18. Under-insurance: After a fire, some quickly "max out" on their contents cover. Insurers have helpful calculators to help you work out what your stuff is worth.</p> <p>19. Specified items: You must tell contents insurers about expensive items of jewellery, equipment and collections. Fail to do so and an insurer may only have to pay out a fraction of their worth if they are stolen or destroyed by fire.</p> <p>20. Replacement value: Many items under contents policies are covered only for "replacement" value, which is the second-hand value. That can mean burglars make off with things like clothes and electronics and you get a far smaller cheque than you expect.</p> <p>21. Temporary accommodation: If your house is rendered unliveable by a fire, you may need to rent another place. Insurers set limits, usually around $30,000, and allow claims of no longer than 12 months. Houses can take longer to repair and $30,000 may not be enough to rent in a suburb you like.</p> <p>22. No duty to alert: At claims time, you need to read your policy carefully, and be proactive about finding out what you are covered for. Insurers don't have to tell you.</p> <p>23. Vermin: Invasion of your home by vermin can lead to losses, but unless they are caused by wild possums, contents policies won't cover it.</p> <p>24. Gradual damage: Damage that happens slowly, including by water leaking from pipes, is covered, but the limits are low, generally about $3000.</p> <p>25. Long holidays: If you leave your home empty for 60 days or more, you need to have permission from your insurer before you go, or your house is effectively uninsured.</p> <p>Written by Rob Stock. First appeared on <a href="http://www.Stuff.co.nz">Stuff.co.nz</a>.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/insurance/2015/11/diy-life-insurance-advice/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The trick of DIY life insurance</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/insurance/2015/11/computer-hackers-tell-tale-signs/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>11 signs you’ve been exposed to hackers</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/insurance/2015/11/banks-checking-your-facebook/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Banks might start checking your Facebook page</strong></em></span></a></p>

Insurance