Meaning of life and meaning of death in successful aging

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Meaning of Life and Meaning of Death in Successful Aging
Paul T. P. Wong, PhD
© 2000
I can never forget the angry reaction from a number of seniors right after the key- note address
on successful aging at a major gerontological society convention. The speaker was a prominent
authority on the topic, yet his message was met with disapproval and even anger from a small
group of seniors standing close to me. These protestors included three or four women, a
clergyman and a lanky, tall white-haired man leaning on a cane. We were standing at the door
because there were no empty seats left inside the lecture hall. One advantage of being outside
was that people could freely express their opinions without embarrassing the speaker.
The tall elderly gentleman with a cane was visibly angry to the proposition that successful agers
were relatively free from disease and disability. "How about those on wheelchairs or using a
walker! That would make us failures!" he said, shaking his head. Those with him were in total
agreement with him. Their main complaint was that the speaker almost exclusively emphasized
successful agers’ physical health and physical activities with no mention of their spiritual and
existential dimensions.
This incident caused me to rethink the meaning of successful aging: Have the experts on
successful aging missed something important to the aging population? The same question
resurfaced a few years later when I read Rowe and Kahn’s (1995) report on the MacArthurs
Successful Aging Project. They defined successful aging as ". . . the ability to maintain three key
behaviors or characteristics: (1) Low risk of disease and disease-related disability, (2) high
mental and physical functions and (3) active engagement with life" (p. 38). By active
engagement, they meant such "happy activities" as relating to others and continuing productive
activities. (p. 45)
It is worth-noting that happy activities are not necessarily productive as defined by Rowe and
Kahn (1995): they "count as productive all activities, paid or unpaid, that create goods or
services of values." (p. 47). They seem to imply that only activities contributing to the gross
national product are considered productive. But how about spiritual and existential activities,
such as prayer and meditation? How about activities of experiencing and appreciating nature?
Are these activities productive?
In Rowe and Kahn’s (1995) expanded definition of successful aging, there was also no reference
to spirituality and existential wisdom as contributors to successful aging. This omission is not
surprising, since none of the 16 researchers of the MacArthurs Foundation Research Network on
Successful Aging have done authoritative research on the spiritual and existential aspects of
aging.
The Hidden Dimension of Successful Aging

During the past decade, I have consistently emphasized the importance of meeting the existential
and spiritual needs of seniors (Wong, 1989, 1994, 1998; Wong & Watt, 1993). I have proposed
that personal meaning is the hidden dimension of successful aging (Wong, 1989), because
having a positive meaning and purpose in life will not only add years to one’s life, but also add
life to one’s years. Without a clear sense of meaning and purpose in the face of physical decline,
longevity may prove to be an unbearable burden. People need to develop a positive attitude
towards life in order to maintain life satisfaction in the midst of losses and illness. I have
presented a more detailed argument (Wong, 1989):
When many of the major sources of meaning, such as work, social status, and activity are
threatened or diminished, as in the case of advancing age, the question ‘Why survive?’ becomes
urgent. One’s health and life satisfaction importantly depends on whether this existential need is
met. The main thesis of the present paper is that discovery/creation of meaning through inner and
spiritual resources is a promising way of transcending personal losses and despair in old age. (p.
516)
No one would question the benefits of trying to prolong years of vitality and to compress the
time of poor health to a minimum period (Fries & Crapo, 1981). The problem with this approach
is that it "devalues" those who, for various reasons, cannot achieve this ideal. Furthermore, even
the healthiest may succumb to chronic disabilities. Is life still worth living in these cases? In a
nutshell, this is the question was probably behind the grumbling of some the seniors at the
gerontological meeting. Cole (1984) has offered a similar critique of the Western culture, which
values vitality and productivity and devalues the frail and sick. He has correctly pointed out that
increase in longevity as a result of medical progress has been accompanied "by widespread
spiritual malaise . . . and confusion over the meaning and purpose of life" (p. 329). The following
quote points to the futility of emphasizing physical vitality without any reference to existential
needs:
While many do live through their old age with personal vigor and integrity, many more suffer
from segregation, desolation, and loss of self in a culture that does not value the end of life.
Today’s ‘enlightened’ view of aging, which encourages older people to remain healthy, active,
independent, etc., has yet to confront this crucial issue and therefore harbours potentially
pernicious effects . . . . Unless the attack on ageism is applied to address the existential
challenges and tasks of physical decline and the end of life, we will perpetuate a profound failure
of meaning. (p. 333)
In his best selling book Successful Aging, Novak (1985) has made much the same point: "There
is no secret, no magic formula. A good old age doesn’t come about from some special talent or
as a secret gift. It comes about when, given a basic income, reasonable health, good self-esteem
and a little energy, a person sets out to discover a meaningful life for him- or herself." (p. 273).
He then goes on to say that merely focussing on physical activities, such as playing golf or
travelling, may have the unexpected negative effect of covering up "the void of old age and keep
people from coming to grips with the challenge of living beyond middle age. Meaningless action
can short-circuit the chance to discover a good age" (p. 297).

Thus, the challenge of successful aging is to discover positive meanings of life and death even
when one’s physical health is failing. We need to address the needs of the frail, the disabled and
the chronically ill; we should not view them as unsuccessful agers. We need to look deeper and
discover what enables one to triumph over prolonged illness and disability. Yes, the secret to
successful aging for the frail and the dying lies in discovering the transcendental meaning of life
and death.
Numerous authorities on aging (i.e., Birren, 1964; Butler, 1963; Erikson, 1963) have concluded
that the search for personal meaning and integrity becomes crucial for adaptation in old age.
Schulz (1986) pointed out that personal meaning becomes a major source of life satisfaction and
personal growth in old age. He maintained that existential acceptance may be more adaptive for
the elderly than active striving for personal control.
The Ontario Project on Successful Aging
In our Ontario Project on Successful Aging*, we defined successful aging in terms of mental and
physical health and adjustment as rated by an interviewer as well as a panel of psychologists or
psychiatrists, a geriatric nurse and a gerontological recreational worker. The third criterion—
adjustment—was based on the observation of how well they coped with stressful life situations.
A number of the questions were designed to measure the respondent’s general attitudes towards
life and aging.
On the basis of these ratings, we were able to select successful agers and less successful agers
from both the residential community and institutions for the elderly. We provided a
comprehensive study of various psychosocial factors contributing to resilience and vitality in old
age. These factors include variables emphasized by Rowe and Kane (1995), such as Healthy
Lifestyles and Social Resources. In addition, we also measured Religiosity, Personal Meaning,
Optimism, Commitment and Coping. The Successful and Less Successful groups differed
significantly in all of these measures. More importantly, regression analyses showed that
personal meaning was the best predictor of happiness, perceived well being and the absence of
psychopathology and depression. In short, these results suggest that successful aging is 80%
attitude, and 20% everything else.
On the basis of open-ended interviews with participants in this project, Wong (1986) concluded
that successful agers are more likely to report positive meanings of life and death as sources of
happiness and life satisfaction. The following are a few examples:
I want to be of value in whatever days left to me. I want to do it with dignity . . . . When I take
my last breath, I want to be remembered not for any property or valuable things in a monetary
sense, but for what I was capable of doing and what I have done for others.
This newly retired man was very active in various seniors’ groups. He was trying to organize
various seniors’ organizations under one umbrella and apply for government funding. He
expressed a strong desire to be "needed, wanted and loved." He wanted to work hard to benefit
others. To him, successful aging was not so much being engaged as keeping active for a worthy
cause. Successful aging involved serving others and leaving a good legacy.

I still have certain ambitions. I would like to do something for my country, for the Peterborough
area, and for the Province. We started a while ago back a project called POP—Preserve Ontario
Pickerel. We are great fishermen and we say that the fishing was going down. So we started this
project. We have now 20, 000 signatures. We also believe that there is the urgent need for a
beautiful art centre. We have started a drive for membership. Third, the Constitution we have. It
is good, but there is a lot that should and could be done to it. It is not a people’s constitution. So
there are the kind of things I would be very glad to give the rest of my life to.
At 73 years old, the above successful ager was still fully engaged with life. His happy activities
not only consisted of golfing, travelling and enjoying himself; he wanted to give all his energy
and the rest of his life to projects that benefited humanity. His life goals of conservation and civil
duties endowed his life with purpose and passion.
What happens when one becomes frail and institutionalized? What gives one a sense of meaning
and purpose in a nursing home? One 92-year-old man derived real satisfaction from helping
those who were worse off then he was. His eyes sparked and his voice quivered with excitement
as he talked about the joy of helping others:
I help anyone. If I see a wheelchair waiting at the elevator or going around and they want a little
help, even though I’m crippled myself, I can do without the walker as long as I can have the
cane. If I see a wheelchair that wants help, I’ll go and help that wheelchair every time.
The common thread of these successful agers is that they have a zest for life and a clear sense of
meaning and purpose. They consistently say "Yes" to life and all the trials of aging. For most of
them, their happy activities can be considered purposeful and altruistic rather than leisurely or
economically productive. They seem to derive energy and satisfaction from serving others and
pursuing a meaningful goal that transcends self-interest.
Another common theme was that the successful agers had a positive attitude towards life. "Be
cheerful and try to be as happy as you can," advised a 74-year-old senior. "Well, get out and
smile and the world smiles. There is no use grouching about it," mused an 81-year-old lady.
The following quote was from a 73-year-old man who brimmed with zest for life. There was an
eager anticipation for each day and each season. He had a profound appreciation for what life
had to offer. This kind of positive attitude towards life does not allow much room for death
anxiety. Here are his words:
I look forward to tomorrow and all the days to come. You know, tomorrow is the first day of the
rest of your life, so you just take what comes and enjoy it. I look forward to summer, I look
forward to fall, I look forward to winter and I look forward to next spring when everything starts
bursting out.
A 77-year-old mentioned the importance of being positive and grateful. He had this to say:

Be thankful for what you have and get the most out of everyday. Keep a healthy, happy attitude.
If you start thinking about tomorrow and tomorrow’s illness, which is liable to creep up on you
or anyone, then you’re going to spoil today. Be thankful for what you have today.
Another successful ager summed it up this way:
Your attitude is the biggest part. If you want to go around with a chip on your shoulder all the
time, you’re going to have health problems—you’re going to think this is wrong with me or that
is wrong with me. But, if you have the right attitude, and think, well, gee whiz, is this aging or
what is it?
Successful agers also demonstrated a positive attitude towards death and dying. For most of this
cohort, the positive meaning of death was often derived from their religious beliefs. Here is a
quote from a 76-year old man:
What I really look forward to is to see the culmination of all the experiences of life is when the
Lord comes and we go to be with Him. Then, we are out of this scene. I am not afraid to die,
because I am ready. Life is sweet even at that. When it comes, I am satisfied that that is it. The
Lord knows best, and I’ll leave that up to him.
Another successful ager talked about how his Christian faith and his positive attitude helped him
face present difficulties as well as the prospect of dying:
If we have sufficient faith in God, who is always with us and we are in his hands, I don’t think
anyone has any need to fear the future. We need to come to grips with the fact that it’s only a
problem, if you allow it to be a problem. If you can accept the fact of our diminishing activities,
whatever they might be, you would realize that there is still life ahead of you.
The untold story of successful aging is about positive attitudes towards life and death, about the
spiritual and existential quest, and about personal growth in wisdom and spirituality. From this
spiritual, existential perspective, successful aging is attainable for everyone with positive
meanings, regardless of his or her physical condition.
In the remaining sections of this chapter, I will discuss (1) the relationship between meaning of
life and meaning of death, and (2) the implications of death attitudes for successful aging.
The Relationship between Meaning of Life and Meaning of Death
Life teaches us how to survive, while death teaches us how to live. Life is a taskmaster, while
death is a master teacher. We cannot learn how to appreciate the preciousness of life without
coming to grips with the reality of death. When people spend so much time in trivial and self-
destructive activities, it is often because they have denied the reality of personal mortality.
Firestone (1994) observes: "Much of people’s destructiveness toward themselves and others can
be attributed to the fact that people conspire with one another to create cultural imperatives and
institutions that deny the fact of mortality" (p. 221). On the other hand, there also those who are

motivated to make something of their lives before death puts an end to their aspirations. Thus,
how we react to personal death has considerable impact on how we live.
Tomer (1994) reviews several philosophical approaches towards death. Each of these
philosophies has implications for the meaning of life. For example, Martin Heidegger's position
is that since death is a threat of non-existence, it provides the precondition for fuller
understanding of life, thereby freeing us from anxiety. For Sartre, death reduces one’s being to
nothingness; therefore, to reflect on death is to realize the meaninglessness of existence.
However, Neimeyer and Chapman (1980) derive a more positive view of life from Sartre’s
notion of nothingness; they propose that death anxiety can be reduced through self-actualization.
In other words, those who have realized their central life goals are less likely to experience death
anxiety than those who have not completed their life tasks are.
Wong, Reker and Gesser (1994) provide a broader conceptual framework for death attitudes,
which include fear of death, death avoidance, approach acceptance, neutral acceptance and
escape acceptance. Fear of death can be considered the most powerful and universal death
attitude; the other four attitudes may be considered as the various human attempts to cope with
death anxiety.
There are many reasons for fear of death. Some of the common reasons are fear of the pain of
dying, fear of separation, fear of the unknown, fear of divine judgement. According to Goodman
(1981), "The existential fear of death, the fear of not existing, is the hardest to conquer. Most
defensive structures, such as the denial of reality, rationalization, insulation, erected to ward off
religiously conditioned and separation-abandonment fears do not lend themselves readily as
protective barriers against the existential fear of death" (p. 5). Another type of the existential fear
is that death comes before one has lived a meaningful life. Butler (1963) even suggests that
people are more afraid of a meaningless existence than of death.
The effects of fear of death are complex and pervasive. At one extreme, fear of death may lead to
intentionally confronting death in extreme sports or on the battlefield—by staring death in the
eye. Individuals may have the exhilarating feelings of being free from the iron grip of fear of
death. At the other extreme, individuals may live very cautiously in a protected "bubble"—they
are extremely safety conscious and don’t want to try anything. Such extreme reactions clearly do
not contribute to successful aging.
Even less extreme forms of death anxiety are unhealthy. Preoccupation with mortality and
worries about death and dying will rob one of the joys of living. In deed, we have found that fear
of death as measured by the Death Attitude Profile - Revised (DAP-R) was negatively correlated
with psychological well being as well as positive meanings of life and death, and positively
correlated with depression. Positive meanings were measured by the semantic differential (SD)
method with 7-point bipolar adjectives (e.g., meaningful-meaningless, satisfying-dissatisfying,
pleasant-unpleasant, etc.). These bipolar scales were used to provide SD ratings for life and
death.
Fear of death can lead to unconscious avoidance, which expresses itself in different ways: living
in a drunken stupor, treating death as a taboo subject, refusing to even think about it, or living in

the illusion of perpetual youth through cosmetic surgery. However, the most common
manifestation of death avoidance is probably the pursuit of busy but trivial activities, as if life
would go on forever.
At the heart of death avoidance is denial. Unfortunately, the psychological defense of denial and
avoidance eventually fails in the face of mounting evidence of aging and dying. That is why,
sooner or later, people need to come to some form of death acceptance in order to overcome the
fear of death
We have identified three types of death acceptance: neutral acceptance, approach acceptance and
escape acceptance (Gesser, Wong, & Reker, 1987; Wong, Reker, & Gesser, 1994). Escape
acceptance is very different from other two types of acceptance because it is based on problems
of life rather than fear of death. Even the prospect of hell after death seems more tolerable than
the pain of earthly life. In other words, when one finds life unbearable, suicide seems a more
attractive alternative.
There are many reasons why people say: "I see death as a relief from the burden of life." More
often than not, their burden has to do with the crushing weight of meaninglessness rather than
physical suffering. In such situations, suicide becomes a cry for meaning. In other situations,
people contemplate suicide because they have a very low tolerance for suffering and do not
know how to cope with it.
Neutral acceptance refers to coming to terms with the inevitable reality of personal mortality, no
matter how uncomfortable one may feel. All living things must die. Death is just a natural cycle
of life. One has to accept this fact as the cognitive level, and then gradually adjust to it as the
affective level.
Neutral acceptance can have different effects on how one lives. Some may feel that since life is
short, they indulge in hedonic pleasure—"let’s eat and be merry, because tomorrow we die."
These individuals have accepted death only at the cognitive level, because deep down in their
hearts they remain anxious about the finality of death and the termination of that they hold dear.
A more positive type of neutral acceptance is related to self-actualization. Given the brevity of
life, some people may want to make to good use of their time and accomplish something
worthwhile and significant. Both Kaufmann (1976) and Goodman (1981) have also proposed the
idea of conquering the fear of death through self-actualization; being able to accomplish
meaningful life goals leads to death acceptance. This idea has been eloquently expressed by
Goodman (1981):
"I don’t think people are afraid of death. What they are afraid of is the incompleteness of their
life," wrote Ted Rosenthal (1973), who at the age of thirty was told that he had acute leukemia
and was going to die. This is one of the most positive statements made on the most
fundamentally aversive human condition. It contains an implicit solution to the existential fear of
death: completion of one’s life, attainment of self-fulfillment. (p. 3)

Goodman (1981) provides numerous illustrations of the above thesis based on his conversations
with eminent artists and scientists. For example, in response to Goodman’s question: "Would
you banish death if you could?" Dr. John Wheeler, a renowned physicist, gave the following
answer:
We have no stronger way to mark our commitment to a great cause than to die for it. So long as
there is any such thing as death, human beings can be great. Nobody can take away one’s
possibility to die for a cause. So long as that measure of ultimate commitment is attainable, the
world will be a live place to live in. Were death to be abolished, all that we call precious in the
world would die (p. 81)
Dr. Wheeler has raised an interesting point—the nobleness of human beings lies in their ability
to find a cause that is worth dying for. This ultimate commitment constitutes the highest criterion
of a meaningful existence. Death becomes a friend rather than an enemy when it brings a natural
conclusion to a completed life task. Goodman (1981) explains the psychological process that
transforms fear of death into death acceptance:
To assert in the face of death, "I have fulfilled myself, I can die," certainly takes the sting out of
that fateful final hour. But even more important, to know that one is doing all that one is
equipped to do, to experience life as meaningful while one is still in the midst of it, may well
take the sting of death and liberate us from the fear that inhibits most people to strive toward
self-actualization in the first place. . . . There may be an optimal way in the lifelong process of
approaching death: a way that would allow us to experience the human condition as meaningful
rather than absurd; life as fulfilling and terminable rather than frustrating and incomplete; death
as an ultimate goal, worth striving for, rather than lifelong threat to dash our hopes. (p. 157-158)
The main weakness with Goodman’s thesis is that creative energy does not end with the
completion of one task. In fact, creative people are constantly searching for new challenges, but
life is too short to complete all the exciting projects available. I can’t imagine that truly creative
people would say: "I have completed my life task. Therefore, I’ll spend the rest of my life on a
rocking chair waiting to die." It is more likely that as long as health permits, creative people will
continue to pursue projects. When it is time for them to depart, they have the satisfaction that
they have done all they can given the years they have, even though much remains to be done.
Furthermore, I do not agree with Goodman that self-actualization represents an optimal way to
approach death. Some have to die prematurely, not able to complete their life tasks, let alone
fulfilling all of their potential. There is also little hope beyond the grave if the significance of
one’s existence rests on one’s performance.
Approach acceptance seems to be the most satisfying way to approach death, because it not only
incorporates the completion of one’s mission in life, but also extends to a rewarding afterlife.
The sting of death is removed by faith in resurrection and eternal life. After presenting evidence
on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Apostle Paul declares:

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the moral with immortality,
then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where,
O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians 15:55)
Many of our successful agers have expressed such faith. They looked forward to returning to
their Heavenly Home, not on the merit of their own accomplishment, but on the basis of their
faith in Christ. This type of approach acceptance is not only more attainable, but also more
satisfying that self-actualization, provided that one believes in the after-life.
In her memoir of living and dying, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1997) epitomizes the triumphant
spirit of a religiously based death acceptance:
When we have passed the tests we were sent to Earth to learn, we are allowed to graduate. We
are allowed to shed our body, which imprisons our soul the way a cocoon encloses the future
butterfly, and when the time is right we can let go of it. The we will be free of pain, free of fears
and free of worries . . . free as a beautiful butterfly returning home to God . . . which is a place
where we are never alone, where we continue to grow and to sing and to dance, where we are
with those we loved, and where we are surrounded with more love than we can ever imagine (p.
284).
We have found that both neutral acceptance and approach acceptance are significantly correlated
with positive meanings of life. However, approach acceptance was also positively correlated
with positive meanings of death, providing evidence that approach acceptance is an optimal way
to approach death.
Implications for Successful Aging
We have seen that those who endorse both neutral and approach acceptance are likely to have a
sense of mission and derive meaning from pursuing their life tasks. Their commitment to
meaningful living not only banishes the fear of death but also make life worth living whatever
their circumstances. That is why Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1997) is able to declare: "Dying is
nothing to fear. It is the most wonderful experience of your life. It all depends on how you have
lived." (p.286)
According to Frankl (1963, 1971), the prospect of death motivates individuals to assume
responsibility and respond to the opportunities life has to offer. It also provides the challenges to
transform the reality of death into new possibilities for meaning. Kovacs (1982) offer this useful
insight on Frankl:
An apparent obstacle or a limitation in life may become a source for new personal meaning and
self-realization. Thus, for Frankl, death is not the end but rather the beginning of the birth of
meaning in human living. (p. 202)
In his edited book The Courage to Grow Old, Berman (1989) provides numerous examples of
individuals who have faced old age and death with courage because of their abiding sense of

meaning and unfailing faith. Leland Stowe (1989), one of the contributors in Berman’s volume,
summarizes it well:
If it doesn’t take courage to grow old, what does it take? Faith in living, I believe, faith that its
compensations will multiply with time. . . . It all adds up to this equation: Attitudes + Habits =
Motivations; Motivations + Goals + Dreams = Character – all cindered into solid bricks for the
passageway into growing old. (p. 303)
Indeed, attitude matters a great deal. It is attitude more than action that ultimately determines
whether a person ages well and dies well. Many of the participants in the Ontario Project on
Successful Aging have demonstrated this important truth over and over again. I believe that our
existential and spiritual emphasis will bring hope to many seniors who are suffering from chronic
illness or physical disability.
Fortunately, it is within almost everyone’s reach to discover meaning and spirituality. Regardless
of the extent of their physical limitations, people can always choose positive attitudes towards
life. All that is required is a grateful heart, an open mind and a searching soul. We have initiated
the International Network on Personal Meaning (http://www.meaning.twu.ca) to facilitate
people’s existential and spiritual quests. Our Meaning of Life Forum is particularly relevant to
those interested in meaning-oriented successful aging.
What happens when seniors are no longer able to do productive work? What happens when their
health declines to the point that they require institutional care? Can they still achieve successful
aging? The answer to these questions is a resounding "Yes." Elsewhere, I have discussed in
details how to promote meaning and spirituality in successful aging (Wong, 1989, 1998). I
believe that society and individuals can work together to making aging and death more
meaningful.
To follow up on the incident reported at the beginning of this chapter, I was able to engage in a
discussion with this group of disgruntled seniors. Almost instantly, they caught on to my
message and agreed wholeheartedly that the medical and gerontological establishment should
pay more attention to the existential and spiritual needs of seniors.
Psychologists and researchers all need to pay more attention to existential and spiritual issues.
Neugarten (1997) had this recommendation:
Psychologists will probably gain enormously by focusing more attention upon the issues that are
of major concern to the individual by focusing more attention upon issues that are of major
concern to the individual—what the person selects as important in his past and his present, what
he hopes to do in the future, what he predict will occur, what strategies he selects, and what
meanings he attaches to time, life, and death. (pp. 639-640)
With respect to spiritual care, Cluff (1984) emphasized that "Spirituality must be accepted as a
dimension of what it means to be human—to live and die, to suffer and rejoice, to succeed and to
fail, to hope and despair" (p. 609). He suggested that when one is facing death,

. . . what is important is not whether the individual finds peace in God or attains a satisfactory
answer to the questions of life’s meaning, although this may be desirable. What is important is
whether the individual continues to question and seek out God, meaning, purpose, and value. (p.
610)
Thus, the quest for meaning and spirituality is an on going process, making the journey of life
rewarding until the very end.
I am pleased that things are moving in the right direction. Both researchers and health care
professionals are beginning to recognize the important role of meaning and spirituality (Wong &
Fry, 1998). I hope this chapter will encourage more people to take seriously the existential
approach to successful aging and death education.
Points to Remember
Rowe and Kane’s (1995) model of successful aging focuses on physical health, psychological
functioning and active lifestyle. Some seniors, especially those with physical disability, feel that
this model devalues them and treats them as failures.
Wong’s (1989, 1998) model of successful aging emphasizes the existential and spiritual needs of
seniors. He proposes that successful aging is 80% attitude and 20% everything else; therefore, it
is attainable even by those who are frail and chronically ill. Results from the Ontario Project on
Successful Aging support Wong’s existential model.
According to Wong’s existential-spiritual model of aging, positive meanings of life and death
provide the necessary motivation for pursuing a healthy life style as well as worthy life goals.
Furthermore, the model allows for a high level of life satisfaction, even when physical health is
failing.
Death anxiety and death avoidance can be replaced by neutral acceptance and approach
acceptance. Individuals demonstrate the death attitude of neutral acceptance when they come to
grips with the reality of their personal mortality and try to make the most of their lives.
Individuals exhibit the death attitude of approach acceptance when they look forward to a
rewarding afterlife after completing their mission in life.
Approach acceptance promises to be the optimal approach to living well and dying well.
Therefore, gerontological care and death education should take into account the spiritual and
existential needs of seniors.
* The Ontario Project on Successful Aging was conducted in corporation with Gary Reker and
supported by a Strategic Research Grant from Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council.
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