Episode 46 - Breaking Ageism & Redefining What It Means to Age with Dr. Corinne Auman

By Jessica Garrison

This week’s guest is reliable, ambitious, trustworthy, and has a non-negotiable no BS policy, which I think we can all learn from. Dr. Corinne Auman shares so many experiences with us and gives new insight to the conversation of age.

Throughout the episode, Corinne shares the ongoing process of supporting herself as well as other women in living unapologetically simply because of the ageist stereotypes that are perpetuated in our society. She says you don’t have to be in your “prime” at a certain point in life or at a specific age. Everyone is different and moves at their own pace—whether it be for marriage, travel, or retirement—so you can’t fairly judge or assess someone else’s decisions.

I love that Corinne also shares how the social media piece adds to the difficulty of overcoming these mixed messages. Social media can lead to comparison, no matter what age you are. We tend to post the most positive aspects of our lives, something we have to keep in mind as we continue to scroll. Women especially have to be careful because of the outside pressure put on them by society, other women, and men.

There’s a stereotype of men trading their wives in for “younger models” once they get too old or replacing them in the workplace. It is outright offensive to think a woman is not beautiful, intelligent, kind, confident, or any other glorious traits when she ages. The key to fighting ageism is starting on the inside first, overcoming our own prejudices to fight what the system has taught us all our lives. The way I look at it is that aging is a luxury not everyone receives, so it should be looked at as a beautiful process rather than something ugly. Corinne says that people are afraid to acknowledge that they’re getting older, but the time to embrace it is now.

Corinne has published a book called Keenagers: Telling a New Story about Aging that depicts people in the 50s-70s range starting new chapters in their lives and defeating that “getting old” stereotype. Another factor I love within Corinne’s work is the need for diversity in stories. Between cultures, economic statuses, and family backgrounds, no one’s story is exactly the same as another, which is how we get out of the stereotypical mindset, not just with elders, but with all people. It gets boring hearing the same story over and over again, and I think that’s why Corinne’s work is so interesting—she works to tell a story that hasn’t been told before.

Fighting stereotypes starts with changing your judgement into curiosity, asking questions and listening rather than making assumptions about someone. I hope Corinne’s words will echo throughout someone’s mind, becoming the first step towards dismantling their preconceived notions of a person and working towards becoming more open-minded and unapologetic.

Ways to Engage: Think about stereotypes you have surrounding “old people.” They’re all bad drivers, they’re all racists, they’re all stingy with money, whatever it may be. Reflect upon these things, like why you believe this to be true, and challenge the stereotypes you feel within. Just because some people in a certain demographic may act a certain way doesn’t mean that everyone is like that. We are all on our journey and it’s what decisions we make that matters most.

✨ Free Download: Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life Sample Freebie
✨ Ready for deeper support? Visit our website to schedule a complimentary 30 minute session or learn more about The Essentials one-on-one empowerment program