Julia's Reflections on Ageist Behavior

From our discussion, I learned that I do often have a stereotypical view of older people. I tend to think of them as generally being weak and slightly out of touch with reality, but in a cute or adorable way. However, I realized that this does not really make a lot of sense, considering that the vast majority of older people I know do not actually fit this description. However, when I think of the older people I know, I think of them as generally being wiser than me, which is also a stereotype, albeit a more positive one. This class has made me think about this a good deal more, and I am now realizing that I can't really say any of these things about older people in general, even if they are true for certain individuals. I have learned that old people are really not any different, and should not be treated differently, than any younger or middle-aged person. They are still people with their own unique personalities and ideas, and should be respected, and now that I have realized this, I will do my best to change the way I treat older people.