Ageism: Public Prejudice and Private Preconceptions*

The concept of “ageism” or automatic prejudice towards elderly people solely on the basis of their age, is not new. Recently, however, comment has been developed, especially in relation as to how ageism may be decreasing the quality of life and appropriate care of our senior citizens. Professor Robert Butler, to whom authorship of the term is ascribed identified five myths on which he believed ageism is built. This paper greatly expands the number of these myths and discusses some ways in which they may be addressed to reduce the level of ageism in society.