Andrew J. Scott and Lynda Gratton’s 2016 book The 100 Year Life is what first sparked my interest in longevity – the opportunity to reconfigure the life course and enjoy greater flexibility at different stages of our lives as we live for longer. From my work with clients I know the vital role that language plays in framing how people feel about longer lives. The release of Scott’s new book, The Longevity Imperative provides an opportune moment to explore the importance of metaphor in changing how we think about living for longer and the implications of what Scott is saying metaphorically about longer lives.
We all learnt about metaphors at school – a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. They are fundamental to how we think, often without us realising it (Lakoff and Johnson, Metaphors We Live By).
I am particularly struck by metaphors that have an inherent sense of direction, such as ‘up’ metaphors associated which what is positive in our lives. For example, in the wellbeing context, health and wellness metaphors are ‘up’ (he’s at the peak of health; she’s in top shape) whereas sickness and death are ‘down’ (she fell ill; his health is declining; he dropped dead). Similarly, happiness is also ‘up’ (I’m feeling up; that boosted my spirits) whereas sad is ‘down’ (I’m feeling down; he’s really low these days). We can go further and see that metaphors associated with what is good are also ‘up’ (things are looking up; we hit a peak last year,) and conversely bad is ‘down’ (it’s been downhill ever since; things are at an all-time low). Finally, metaphors associated with being in control are ‘up’ (I am on top of the situation; she’s at the height of her power) whereas lacking control is associated with ‘down’ (he is under my control).
In contrast to the ‘up’ which is positively associated with health, happiness, feeling good and being in control, I believe that longer lives are unfortunately very strongly associated with all that is ‘down’ in this metaphorical context. For example sickness, death, sadness and loneliness in older age. Critically, most people’s greatest fear of living longer is the lack of control or certainty in terms of failing health, the threat of dementia or the prospect of running out of money.
Why does this association between longer lives and negative metaphors matter? It matters because these metaphors inform the language we use and consequently impact how we think about living for longer. How we think impacts whether and how we act. If we fear living for longer not only are we unhappy, but we may not take steps to prepare for later life in helpful ways e.g. financially or in terms of our health. We need to decouple longevity from negative ‘down’ and ‘no control’ metaphors and reframe it in the context of a more positive and constructive ‘up’ agenda over which we have a degree of ‘influence.’
It is hard to change concepts and their associations which are so engrained in how we think and act, but it is possible. How do we go about reframing the metaphors associated with living for longer? Noteworthy experts have been trying to do this, largely focused on reframing the individual experience of ageing. Some years ago we had Laura Carstensen’s powerful ‘one-act play’ metaphor, where she explained that ‘You wouldn’t adapt a one-act play into a full-length play by keeping everything pretty much the same, then adding a forty minute intermission between the denouement and the curtain call…we should change where the major plot points fall and give our characters more to do throughout the play.’ There is also Camilla Cavendish’s ‘extra time’ metaphor and the ‘Encore.org’ movement led by Marc Freedman in the US, amongst others. These metaphors have helped organisations and individuals see the opportunities associated with longer lives, but changing strongly embedded views takes time and we know from our recent research that many people are still fearful and uncertain about their own future.
Most recently, in his new book, Andrew Scott has introduced the concept of the ‘evergreen agenda’ to explain the necessary metaphorical shift that reframes the problem of an ageing society into the opportunity of the longevity society. While it’s early days and this new metaphor has only just been ‘seeded’, I would reflect that the evergreen agenda is a positive and useful metaphorical contribution in helping us to reframe longevity. I see five helpful dimensions to this metaphorical rethink:
Consistency and ongoing relevance – while in a literal sense an evergreen ‘remains green and functional through more than one growing season’, it is worth dwelling on the metaphorical idea – that of the longevity society remaining ‘universally and continually relevant.’ Scott is arguing that longevity must have an impact – an ongoing relevance – throughout one’s life (not just at the end), and that we need to embrace it consistently over time.
Positive vibrancy – there is a positive, colourful vibrancy associated with being ‘evergreen’ – remaining in bloom throughout the seasons (i.e. during all stages of one’s life) when the alternative is a negative one of shedding a part of oneself as one ages. The evergreen agenda is a plant based idea metaphor which builds on our familiarity with these, for example she has a fertile imagination; here’s an idea that I’d like to plant in your mind. We can also note that green as a colour is associated with positivity, progress, ‘go’ and sustainability/the future which further helps us think constructively and more optimistically about longer lives.
Continuity and the future – the concept of ‘ever’ as ‘for always’ represents staying power and a nod to the future (which is ‘up’, unlike the past which is ‘down’).
Systems not age – Unlike some other metaphors about longer lives, the evergreen agenda is not about age and encourages us to think not about having extra years but about the need for systems-wide change e.g. a shift to more preventative healthcare could help people feel more in control of their health outcomes. This is a very helpful evolution.
Collective rather than individual focus – many metaphors about longer lives have necessarily focused on the individual and what one can and must consider in order to live a more fulfilling longer life. The evergreen agenda reflects a more comprehensive approach, marking a shift towards a more collective need to change how we operate as a society in order to successfully support living for longer.
Communicating the opportunities of longer lives has never been more important and it has been hugely rewarding to support clients on this mission. If as a society we can decouple longer lives from negative metaphors and embrace a more positive way of thinking about what lies ahead, then the evergreen agenda may indeed bear fruit.
