Leben in wachsenden Ringen

This book is the 'counterpart' to the book published in April 2021 'Vom Leben und Sterben im Alter. How we can shape the end of life'. While the latter deals with the narrowing circles of life and the gradual withdrawal from the world, this book emphasises the possibilities of spiritual growth and social engagement. In this context, growth is not only interpreted in the sense of a deepening of experience, but also as the ability to open up new areas of life and to look at familiar areas of life once again from a broader perspective that incorporates the person's life knowledge. Living in growing struggles' includes changed or new areas and forms of responsibility, especially responsibility for young generations in the sense of providing one's own resources for their life's journey. In these forms of solidarity, the importance of old age for social cohesion becomes apparent. One condition for life satisfaction and fulfilment of meaning is the experience of having a task and being needed by others: Here, commitment to other people and society plays an important role, and the willingness to do so must be recognised, acknowledged and used by society. The increasing physical and cognitive vulnerability in old age does not exclude inner growth: People can also grow and mature mentally and spiritually in borderline situations, and this is where making people aware of their existing life ties plays an important role. Meaningful old age is bound to objective living conditions that make it possible to really shape one's life in the first place. For this reason, attention is paid to questions of social inequality and support for caring relatives. The book aims to stimulate a different way of looking at and talking about old age and old people. Changed, differentiated images of old age on a personal and social level are necessary. It wants to 'motivate' people to think of old age in a new way, to see it as a fulfilling phase of life and to shape it accordingly.