Let’s build cathedrals, not shopping malls
What do Joe Biden, my own extended family and sabbath rest have in common? Reading The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity, falls at an interesting time. At the time of writing (although I recognize things may look very different by the time this blog post is published) our nation is grappling with questions of age, competency and cognitive decline that is common as we humans grow older. According to Stephanie Sy of PBS News, current polls indicate that up to 80% of voters feel that President Biden is too old to serve another term.[1]
My own family has been blessed with longevity. My paternal great-grandmother lived to be 98 and her daughter, my grandmother, was also in her late 90’s when she passed. But I have also witnessed in my own family the pain and sadnesses of steep mental decline, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. I’m sure many of you have likewise walked that road with loved ones.
So I frame this week’s reading against the backdrop of the national conversation about age as well as my personal experiences. Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott start from the premise that longevity is increasing and so many people who are born today will likely live to be 100. They see this as a gift, as well as a challenge to confront with intentionality. The “tangible” or financial implications are obvious; but the development of one’s “intangible assets” is worth careful consideration. These “intangibles” include such things as our friendships, our knowledge and even our physical fitness.[2] Reading this, my thoughts quickly turned to the intangible asset of our mental acuity. The question that begs asking is what if our physical longevity extends to 100 years, but our mental acuity doesn’t keep pace? What if, as some are saying of President Biden, one’s desire to continue working later in life is not matched with the cognitive ability to effectively do your job?
Broadly speaking, Gratton and Scott’s solution to extended longevity is to cultivate a flexible, non-linear approach to life stages. Education, work, rest, family life and self-improvement should all ebb and flow as needed. Here the authors argue that the real key to success in this ebb-and-flow approach is becoming a master of transitions.[3] The better we manage the inherent stress of transition the more adept we become at change. To me this speaks of the need for Sabbath rhythms. I mean this not only in the literal sense of one day off work every week. I’m thinking more of a posture that seeks out rest and renewal when we need it. This certainly includes a weekly break and also a cycle of extended renewal in the form of a sabbatical every so often, traditionally after seven years of work. But it’s more than that. I envision a posture that readily seeks out solitude, spiritual retreat, and “re-creation” as Gratton and Scott mention.[4] In all honestly, I don’t know that this posture does much to address my earlier concerns about mental acuity, but it is essential to extending productivity and avoiding burnout.
This all leads me to one final, potentially thorny, question. I can’t help but wonder if the emphasis on flexible, non-linear life stages worsens the divide between vulnerable populations and those who are well-off. The flexible approach might work great for someone who can afford to stop working in order to pursue more education and change careers. Likewise, those in so-called white-collar fields may be able to work well into their advanced years, while those in physically demanding manual labor jobs may find that impossible. Even Gratton and Scott’s counsel to follow best-practice advice on healthy living as “a cornerstone of making the most of the gift of longevity”[5] is easier said than done for those who face inequities in the healthcare system. This is the same criticism that is commonly levied against the transhumanist movement. While I recognize that The 100-Year Life is not directly promoting evolution to a post-human state, some similar undercurrents can be felt.[6]
All in all, despite the hesitations I’ve expressed in this post, I appreciated the model Gratton and Scott presented. There is one idea from the book that best summarizes it for me, and I’ll leave you all with this quote to finish: “In a long life, you have the potential to build a cathedral rather than a shopping mall.”[7]
[1] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/neurologist-weighs-in-on-concerns-about-the-age-of-presidential-candidates
[2] Gratton, Lynda, and Andrew Scott. The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020. 78.
[3] Ibid., 100.
[4] Ibid., Ch 8.
[5] Ibid., 92.
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanism
[7] Gratton, Lynda, and Andrew Scott. The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020. 136.
About the Author
Kim Sanford
10 responses to “Let’s build cathedrals, not shopping malls”
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Hi Kim,
Nice post. This month I am visiting my mom in LA for her 90th Birthday. She has lost the ability to speak…sigh and we are in that twilight waiting stage.
Thanks for bringing that up for those who are genetically predisposed to Alzheimers (one of the reason I entered the program was to “use it or lose it.”)
There are some negative critiques about this book, “Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott’s assumed readership is one in which “as people age their income grows, as wages keep pace with inflation. Over time there are productivity gains and people get promoted and achieve greater responsibility.” This book is clearly not aimed at the typical American, for whom wages have fallen so sharply in recent decades, or for readers anywhere where the vast majority of people are never promoted to achieve great responsibility.” Says Danny Dorling of the Times Higher Education, May 26,2016. (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/books/review-the-100-year-life-lynda-gratton-andrew-scott-bloomsbury
I was peering into DLGP03’s comments on this book and it was interesting to see their take on the book. Some interesting words from Debbie Owens.
Have a great day….
Shalom.
Kim, I was going to reference something else in your post, until I read your statement about the transhumanist movement. The critiques of (and the associated economic divide the movement fosters) could indeed be applied to this week’s book. For a particularly weird/creepy take on what a few elites in tech have done, check out a podcast called Intrigue…Introducing the Immortals. I listened to the first episode earlier this summer, and it raises the economic and ethical questions you reference. Transhumanism aside, where the authors do talk about the importance of navigating career transitions — I thought they raise an important topic, and one that current and future generations are already engaged with. Being able to transition well is/will be a necessity, and something that needs to be talked about more, in my opinion.
Kim,
You offer some very thought-provoking points. A longer life is certainly not something that will serve everyone well. In my research I came across a company in Australia that is specifically working with organizations to handle the changing workforce. I spoke with the leading psychologist of the company by zoom and she shared how much work there is to do to have companies change their policies on the aging population. There is much currently being researched and written on what could help us navigate all these changes. It is truly fascinating. Also, no doubt, the church will still be so crucial in offering hope and health in the midst of the changing lifespan.
Esther, you touch on a whole other area that I would have liked to explore more in my post – how companies will need to adapt to an aging, multigenerational workforce. A significant perspective shift will be needed, not to mention some reworking of policies and practices. This is outside of my wheelhouse, but I think it’s important.
You captured a question that occurred to me as well as I read “The 100-Year Life” about the divide between vulnerable populations and those who are well-off.
My own family (dad, mom before she passed), are a case of those that may not have been able to make these kinds of fluid decisions due to their jobs, and incomes.
I have always been grateful for my ministry job – pastoring. It has afforded me my opportunites that others may not have. I can travel, write, speak, coach, consult, and I have a flexible work week.
Each time that I think about “quitting the ministry” (the focus of my NPO) I come back to the geniune blessing it has been to me and my family.
Of course, the stress of it all may shave YEARS off of my 100-year life. Dang it! 🙂
Yes, this point of economic differences also jumped out to me. It seems that there are a group of people working in low-skill, low-paying jobs that are also highly physical (read here: not suited to older workers). I would like to know what percent of this population is poised to be able to transition to a second or third career- one with less physical requirements. I am guessing it is not a high amount. Those of us that work in knowledge-based fields (such as the authors) may take the option of learning a new skill or trade for granted. This was a thought sort of in the background for me as I read. Thanks for bringing it to the front.
Your reflections on your own family of origin have sparked a mental rabbit trail for me. My father who was a dentist worked his whole career in the traditional way: expensive education, built up his own business, sold the dental practice when he retired. He had white-collar skills and yet I’m not sure pivoting to a different field would have been feasible. I have the perhaps rare opportunity to compare apples to apples here because my father-in-law was also a dentist (true story). However he set up his practice in such a way that allowed time to teach at the local dental school as well as volunteer many hours to serve a medical mission organization. Both of those platforms seem like they would have afforded him opportunities to pivot if necessary. Maybe these differences are simply reflective of personality, or maybe of the availability of opportunities based on geographic region (my father was in rural Pennsylvania, so not of a lot of dental schools in the area). Maybe the lesson here is to diversify your skills and keep the doors open to other opportunities.
“Broadly speaking, Gratton and Scott’s solution to extended longevity is to cultivate a flexible, non-linear approach to life stages. Education, work, rest, family life and self-improvement should all ebb and flow as needed. Here the authors argue that the real key to success in this ebb-and-flow approach is becoming a master of transitions.”
thank you for highlighting this in the book! Flexibility and Adaptability seem to be a great way of being for aging. Both in work, in retirement, in adjusting to our own mind and body aging. I think those who can laugh at themselves and not take themselves too seriously are able to manage the aging process well. What do you think?
I agree with you, Jana, that flexibility and adaptability are some of the most important qualities in aging well. I recently had an experience where I was listening to a few retirees complain about “kids these days”, and yes, I get it, we all do that to some extent. But it reminded me that the older adults I admire are the ones who maintain flexible thinking, a growth mindset, and look for ways to invest instead of complaining. A good reminder to myself to always be doing those things now!
I like that you focused on cognitive decline, which is a real possibility as we age. I’ve seen how this negatively impacts the person and especially the family taking care of them. Doing everything possible to stay healthy mentally and physically is so important.
Speaking of which, I know this seems a bit in left field, but your post made me think about Andrew Newberg’s book, How God Changes the Brain. It’s 30 years of research that follows folks to see how God (really their view of God) impacts their brains and emotions. Some of the takeaways, meditate 12 minutes a day for a healthier life and the type of God you meditate on matters (loving over critical, authoritarian, or distant). This lowers stress (huge factor of health issues), lowers depression and anxiety, and increases compassion, empathy, security, mental health, and health overall. Church attendance does this as well! This may be a helpful approach for your demographic!
Thanks for this post, good things to think about!