The speaker, a woman of 97 years, shares her experiences of aging and the challenges it presents. She discusses the difficulty of understanding the psychology of aging, particularly the loss of abilities and the inability to do things as easily as before. She also talks about the need to accept that some things are no longer possible and the struggle to come to terms with this.
She recounts her life, having been born in Brooklyn in 1921 and taught philosophy at the University of California for about 40 years. She has written books on self-deception, Chinese philosophy, and the theory of ethics and law. She also wrote a book about death, arguing that there's no reason to be afraid of it because when you die, there's nothing.
However, she now acknowledges that it's not rational to be afraid of death and that it's important to understand why people are afraid of it. She admits to being haunted by the idea of dying soon and often ponders the point of life.
She talks about her relationship with her late wife, who she was married to for around 70 years. She describes her feelings of loneliness and absence in her life, which she attributes to her wife's death. She also reflects on her life with her wife, noting that they were very close and worked together.
The speaker concludes by expressing her struggle with the concept of death and her inability to fully appreciate the wonders of life until now. She admits that this makes the fact of death even more difficult to accept and brings tears to her eyes. She acknowledges that she has failed to come to terms with the central issue of her existence - death - and simply continues to exist and wait.
1. The speaker is a 97-year-old individual who has been reflecting on their life experiences, including dealing with old age and the psychology associated with it.
2. The speaker acknowledges the difficulty in understanding the psychology of old age, especially for those who have not reached that stage.
3. The speaker talks about the loss of abilities that they have had all their life and the tendency to act as if they still had these abilities, which often leads to failure or embarrassment.
4. The speaker also talks about the acceptance of their inability to do certain things anymore.
5. The speaker was born in Brooklyn in 1921 and is currently 97 years old.
6. The speaker taught philosophy at the University of California for around 40 years.
7. The speaker started their journey in philosophy by going deep into psychoanalysis.
8. The speaker has published books on self-deception, Chinese philosophy, and the theory of ethics and law, with a particular focus on problems of responsibility in connection with alcoholism and drug addiction.
9. The speaker wrote a book about death about 20 years ago.
10. The speaker's book about death argues that there's no reason to be afraid or concerned about death, as when you die, there's nothing.
11. The speaker now thinks that their statement about death was not a good one, as they believe there is a good reason for people to be afraid of it.
12. The speaker often walks around the house and asks themselves, out loud, "What is the point of it all?"
13. The speaker is very close to their late wife, with whom they were married for around 70 years.
14. The speaker feels that a part of them is missing since their wife's death and that her absence has been present to them for several years.
15. The speaker describes experiencing loneliness and absence as an absolute part of their life.
16. The speaker reflects on their close relationship with their wife and how they miss her presence.
17. The speaker describes their experience of watching their wife die and how that was a difficult experience.
18. The speaker expresses their desire to continue living, despite the messiness of life in this world.
19. The speaker reflects on their appreciation for the natural world and the trees in their garden, recognizing that they have not truly appreciated them until now.
20. The speaker acknowledges that their inability to resolve their existential questions about death makes it more difficult to accept.