Psychologists explain why people become more prejudiced as they grow old
They claim that as people become more insecure and anxious about death with age, the prejudice also increases.
Racism and other forms of prejudice are a major issue across the globe as many have started calling out and protesting against the same. Many different factors including the strata of society one comes from can affect how they see different people, but can age play a role too?
Psychologists are now suggesting that old people are more racist and it isn’t because they are from a different time. They claim that as people become more insecure and anxious about death with age, the prejudice also increases.
Hating a certain group of people gives people a sense of identity for people facing death as they share it with others. The fear created by mortality causes a need for identity and belonging which pushes people towards prejudice.
Inappropriate comments by old people are often excused because they are from a different time, but that’s just one part of the issue. Psychologists say that people who grew up in times of segregation are capable of overcoming prejudice.
Research has also revealed that shrinking of the frontal lobe regulating thoughts as we age may also cause old people to lose their ability of censoring offensive viewpoints.