Meaningful Aging via Lifelong Growth and Development

Carol D. Ryff starts with an overview of the state of the art in the field of aging studies and notes that—early and recent—formulations of successful aging in social gerontology ignore aspects of meaningful aging that are evident in developmental, existential, and humanistic approaches. She pleads for an integrative, multidisciplinary approach to aging that embraces humanistic ideas of meaning-making, lifelong growth and development, psychological and social aspects of aging, and the biomedical realities of growing old. At the core of this multidisciplinary approach is a model of eudaimonia emerging from existential, developmental, and humanistic conceptions of positive human functioning, along with distant philosophical insights from Aristotle. Ryff reflects on possible core ingredients for nurturing meaningful, growth-oriented aging and suggests that continuous learning and frequent encounters with the arts and humanities may significantly contribute to eudaimonia. Through some examples, she shows what might be the benefits of the arts and humanities on health and well-being during periods of serious life adversity.