Thursday, December 6, 2007 at 1:01am
Botox and ego
Column: Spiritual Psychology
British writer George Bernard Shaw once quipped, "You should not try to live forever — you will not succeed." Sound advice, but is anyone listening? Judging by the war on aging that the baby boomers have declared now that the advance guard has crossed the senior line, the youth frenzy is intensifying. The beat goes on with the thunderous march toward staying young forever. And the baby boomers are serious folks — they're putting their money where their wrinkles are. And how seductive the ads for miracle formulas: "Look 10, 15, even 20 years younger — in just 60 seconds — guaranteed." And with "one million satisfied customers," who could resist? Why, a day trader or investment banker doesn't even have to skip a deal while going the route of Dorian Gray.
Botox alone is a billion-dollar industry and growing, not to mention the endless list of other billion-dollar anti-aging treatments and strategies. Even warnings of potential dangerous side effects, like disfigurement and facial paralysis, don't stop the rising tide of enthusiastic seekers. Ponce de Leon, the 16th century explorer who failed to find in the Americas his longed-for fountain of youth to swim in, must be bathing in regrets in his grave: 'If only I were born half a millennium later," he must be lamenting.
But wait, there's another side to the story when the battle to stay young and put an end to aging gets bogged down with the realization that, yes, you can slow some aging processes and live energetically and fruitfully by embracing healthy aging with positive lifestyles. But eventually the wisdom of Shaw resurfaces that birth forecasts death and between life and death is aging — terrible news for the ego — "no one gets out of this life alive"?
For many, that's when a shift occurs. For "successful" agers, the ego loosens its grip, with "optimal aging," rather than denial of aging, taking center stage. The gift of longevity that this past century has delivered can then be lived positively and creatively rather than getting bogged down in the grips of struggle and denial. But getting beyond the ego, as spiritual seekers throughout the ages have discovered, is no easy or small matter.
While the ego and its never-ending quest for "more" — of almost anything — and an enduring, changeless self may have its highs and successes in the early stages of life, it runs out of gas in the later years when "time to get there" shrinks. Aging then offers a window of opportunity for a leap to higher ground of ego transcendence, where the now moment can be found. No Botox needed — the now moment is ageless.
In future columns I will explore the subject of "the spiritual emergency of aging," which is one of the main themes of my recently published book.
("Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" is now available at Amazon.com,Barnes & Noble.com and other major book outlets.)
— — —
Bernard Starr, Ph.D., formerly professor of developmental and educational psychology at the City University of New York, now teaches "Spirituality in Film" and leads "The Spiritual Forum" at Marymount Manhattan College. In addition to his work in radio, he is a longtime contributor of commentary and opinion articles to numerous major publications. He is also the main United Nations representative for the Institute of Global Education that founded the Mucherla Global School in Mucherla, India. His book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" has been published by Rowman & Littlefield. He can be reached at {email OmniCns@aol.com}OmniCns@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Bernard Starr.
Botox alone is a billion-dollar industry and growing, not to mention the endless list of other billion-dollar anti-aging treatments and strategies. Even warnings of potential dangerous side effects, like disfigurement and facial paralysis, don't stop the rising tide of enthusiastic seekers. Ponce de Leon, the 16th century explorer who failed to find in the Americas his longed-for fountain of youth to swim in, must be bathing in regrets in his grave: 'If only I were born half a millennium later," he must be lamenting.
But wait, there's another side to the story when the battle to stay young and put an end to aging gets bogged down with the realization that, yes, you can slow some aging processes and live energetically and fruitfully by embracing healthy aging with positive lifestyles. But eventually the wisdom of Shaw resurfaces that birth forecasts death and between life and death is aging — terrible news for the ego — "no one gets out of this life alive"?
For many, that's when a shift occurs. For "successful" agers, the ego loosens its grip, with "optimal aging," rather than denial of aging, taking center stage. The gift of longevity that this past century has delivered can then be lived positively and creatively rather than getting bogged down in the grips of struggle and denial. But getting beyond the ego, as spiritual seekers throughout the ages have discovered, is no easy or small matter.
While the ego and its never-ending quest for "more" — of almost anything — and an enduring, changeless self may have its highs and successes in the early stages of life, it runs out of gas in the later years when "time to get there" shrinks. Aging then offers a window of opportunity for a leap to higher ground of ego transcendence, where the now moment can be found. No Botox needed — the now moment is ageless.
In future columns I will explore the subject of "the spiritual emergency of aging," which is one of the main themes of my recently published book.
("Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" is now available at Amazon.com,Barnes & Noble.com and other major book outlets.)
— — —
Bernard Starr, Ph.D., formerly professor of developmental and educational psychology at the City University of New York, now teaches "Spirituality in Film" and leads "The Spiritual Forum" at Marymount Manhattan College. In addition to his work in radio, he is a longtime contributor of commentary and opinion articles to numerous major publications. He is also the main United Nations representative for the Institute of Global Education that founded the Mucherla Global School in Mucherla, India. His book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" has been published by Rowman & Littlefield. He can be reached at {email OmniCns@aol.com}OmniCns@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Bernard Starr.