Psychologicallytherearetwodangerstobeguardedagainstinoldage.Oneoftheseisundueabsorptioninthepast.Itdoesnotdotoliveinmemories,inregretsforthegoodolddays,orinsadnessaboutfriendswhoaredead.One’sthoughtsmustbedirectedtothefuture,andtothingsaboutwhichthereissomethingtobedone.Thisisnotalwayseasy;one’sownpastisagraduallyincreasingweight.Itiseasytothinktooneselfthatone’semotionsusedtobemorevividthantheyare,andone’smindmorekeen.Ifthisistrueitshouldbeforgotten,andifitisforgottenitwillprobablynotbetrue.
Theotherthingtobeavoidedisclingingtoyouthinthehopeofsuckingvigorfromitsvitality.Whenyourchildrenaregrownuptheywanttolivetheirownlives,andifyoucontinuetobeasinterestedinthemasyouwerewhentheywereyoung,youarelikelytobecomeaburdentothem.Animalsbecomeindifferenttotheiryoungassoonastheiryoungcanlookafterthemselves,buthumanbeings,owingtothelengthofinfancy,findthisdifficult.Ithinkthatasuccessfuloldageiseasiestforthosewhohavestrongimpersonalinterestsinvolvingappropriateactivities.
Itisinthisspherethatlongexperienceisreallyfruitful,anditisinthisspherethatthewisdombornofexperiencecanbeexercisedwithoutbeingoppressive.Itisnousetellinggrown-upchildrennottomakemistakes,bothbecausetheywillnotbelieveyou,andbecausemistakesareanessentialpartofeducation.Butifyouareoneofthosewhoareincapableofimpersonalinterests,youmayfindthatyourlifewillbeemptyunlessyouconcernyourselfwithyourchildrenandgrandchildren.Inthatcaseyoumustrealizethatwhileyoucanstillrenderthemmaterialservices,youmustnotexpectthattheywillenjoyyourcompany.
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