Ageism and the Aliveness of Ageing with Ashton Applewhite

We are all ageing. So why are so many of us taught to fear it? In this episode of Shadow Playground, Ez Bridgman sits down with author and anti ageism activist Ashton Applewhite to explore the stories we've been told about getting older and what becomes possible when we begin questioning them. Ashton shares how her assumptions about ageing changed when she began researching longevity and speaking with older people. Instead of the inevitable decline she expected, she discovered a far more complex and diverse picture of later life. Together, Ez and Ashton explore ageism: the stereotypes and discrimination we attach to people based on how old we think they are. They discuss why ageism affects both older and younger people and why the longer we live, the more different from one another we become. Ashton and Ez They examine the cultural forces that make ageing something to resist. From beauty standards and anti ageing products to industries built around fears of physical decline, Ashton asks us to consider who benefits when natural parts of ageing are turned into problems that need fixing. The conversation also explores chrononormativity, the idea that life should follow a socially approved timeline. Get married. Have children. Build a career. Save for retirement. Look a certain way by a certain age. What happens when we stop treating those expectations as rules? Ez and Ashton discuss the freedom that can come from caring less about other people's expectations and allowing ourselves to design lives that don't follow a predetermined timeline. They also explore the relationship between ageism and ableism and our tendency to fear our future older selves. Ashton introduces the idea of becoming an “old person in training”, developing curiosity and empathy toward the person we may become rather than distancing ourselves from them. Ashton and Ez The conversation turns toward intergenerational connection and why making friends across age groups can challenge assumptions, broaden our perspectives and make our lives richer. IN THIS EPISODE: • What ageism actually means • Why ageism affects olders and youngers • How anti ageing industries profit from fear • Why ageing can bring confidence and freedom • What chrononormativity tells us we “should” achieve • The connection between ageism and ableism • Why we fear our future older selves • Becoming an “old person in training” • Why intergenerational friendships matter • How age segregation limits us • Why there is no right way to age • The value of being rather than constantly doing Ashton offers a different way of imagining ageing: not as a problem to solve or a decline to outrun, but as another part of being human. Perhaps preparing for later life doesn't mean trying to stay young. Perhaps it means becoming curious about who we are becoming. ABOUT ASHTON APPLEWHITE Ashton Applewhite is an author and activist challenging ageism and the way we think about ageing. She is the author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism and co founder of Old School. Ashton and Ez This Chair Rocks Old School V10 Life Design Interested in designing an enlivening life, with space for both joy and shadow? Visit V10 Life Design to learn more.