FGV 2026.1Questão 43de 60Which of the following sayings probably best sums up a reason that experts have given to explain the 'disconnect'

THOUGHTS ABOUT AGING
By Maggie Penman

Negative stereotypes about aging [envelhecimento] are pervasive. A global survey in 2024 found that 65 percent of health-care workers and 80 percent of the general population falsely believed that developing dementia is a normal part of aging.

“The stereotype of an older person is that they’re dependent, that they have cognitive impairment,” said Dr. Mark Lachs, a renowned geriatrics expert. While Lachs said that may sometimes be true, “the vast majority of older people don’t have any cognitive impairment. The vast majority of older people do not have a need for assistance.”

In the last couple of decades, there has been more research focused on the positive aspects of getting older. Lachs noted that judgment and wisdom improve with age, as does emotional intelligence and even happiness.

Moreover, in a major new study, researchers looked at data from thousands of people over 65 and saw that improving with age wasn’t the exception. It was almost as common as decline.

Part of the reason for the disconnect between the stereotypes and the reality, experts said, is much of the research on older people looks at average outcomes instead of individual outcomes, or looks exclusively for decline or for the absence of decline, instead of the possibility of improvement.

Adapted from The Washington Post, March 25, 2026