Professor Susan Greenfield

NYANBU. Anyone so focussed on their appearance and how old or young they look is annoying. I suppose it's just an article written for money and to fill a few column inches though .

Besides, she just has thought about being 63 and matching herself with younger people. blergh.

I've always found her to be bit odd. Clever scientist though.

Isn't she just perpetuating the idea that women should be worried about their looks all the time. Yes we all like to make the best of ourselves, but that doesn't mean having injections of toxic substances.

I am 64, never lied about my age, don't worry about it, never dyed my hair. But I wash and style my hair every day and use make up, because it makes me feel more confident. Some days I feel like I'm still in my 20s, other days I don't, it has nothing to do with who I spend my time with.

At least she's honest about it!

Professor David Wilson (mentioned on Saatchi and Nigella thread) has also become vain about his looks - sometimes he looks positively orange! Must come from mixing with media types and being wheeled out to appear on TV.

The article is about appearance - so talk of Botox is not the bit that bothered me.

I'm more concerned that she, a neuro-scientist, a member of the House of Lords, an Oxford academic, etc., is perpetuating the myth that you can only feel young and energetic if you work with 20/30-somethings.

Is it any wonder that many over-50s find it impossible to be even considered for a job.

She sounds a bit like those members who come on here to extol their youthful virtues and how they are much younger and lovelier than the rest of us and how they are different mentally from other older people.

I'm so surprised that Greenfield thinks like them!

I'm not surprised. I've known quite a few silly people who also happen to be academics. I think silliness is spread fairly evenly through the population regardless of academic success/famousness.

What an interesting series. Susan Greenfield comes across as surprisingly shallow.

Suzi Quatro sounds as though she has a much more mature and balanced attitude.

"The first thing I do when I look in the mirror is smile. I always smile because I'm happy with myself. I'm 63 and I think, "It's not that bad."

I know I'm ageing, but that's all right. I don't chase my teenage years – that's not who I am any more. I'm a very realistic person. I look in the mirror and I see whatever lines there are and I'm OK with that."

Coming back to your original question Riverwalk yes it does seem an odd thing for her to say, but looking at Wikipedia, I think she has no children, and perhaps that explains it.
Not sure what she means by a 'younger mentality' anyway, but if she means being able to understand txtspeak, knowing what Facebook is, being au fait with what younger people are wearing, thinking etc, surely we all get that through contact with our own DCs and DGCs. Perhaps her young colleagues are children-substitutes.
I think we're probably all old and wise enough to select our friends and company on the basis of people who interest us and whom we like, irrespective of their age.

Before looking at the article my mental picture of her was of someone not very attractive anyway [she seems to be one of those people that look good for their age but wasn't very pretty when young]. Reminds me of Sam Taylor Wood and the dreadful Edwina Currie. She's so respected in her field that I doubt people treat her totally like 'one of them' anyway. I must say that the thing I miss most about working is mixing with people of all ages not as a mother or a granny but just as 'myself'.

Hey! I have long grey white/silver hair and I don't think I look like the witch of the east!
Do I? I'm worried now!

What a strange attitude for someone so apparently intelligent and well-educated. You would have thought she might have better things to think about!!

You're more like a Pearly Queen Galen

Gee! Thanks!

I suppose to be fair she is being questioned for a regular Guardian column which asks people how they feel about their looks (What I see in the Mirror)

It's probably true that being with younger people helps to bring out the younger self. I certainly feel more youthful when I am with my DGC.

I repeat what I said on another thread, people of more mature years who keep going on about how young they look or how young they are mentally, generally, look very much their age and use the second as an excuse for childish behaviour.

When I look in the mirror I see my face, I am quite familiar with it. It looks older than it did; 10, 20, 30, 40,.... years ago and younger than it will look in 10 or20 years time, should I live that long. What more is there to say?

I do think that mixing with younger people may not keep you young but certainly is refreshing and energising. Most of my friends are, like myself, past retiral age and conversation tends to be about ill health, medication of grandchildren. It is good to have younger friends to give a different perspective on life.

I think it is important to mix with all sorts of people – younger/older, same background/different back, same interests/different interests, etc. That's one of the reasons I find the idea of an old people's ghetto (or a gated community, for that matter) a horrifying thought.

Flickety said: "When I look in the mirror I see my face, I am quite familiar with it. It looks older than it did; 10, 20, 30, 40,.... years ago and younger than it will look in 10 or20 years time, should I live that long. What more is there to say?"

Exactly.

What you see in the mirror is not always about the superfciality of the face one sees.

'superficiality'

On a more serious note - I am 63. A dear friend died at 62. I feel privileged and thankful to be here so I don't intend to waste time fretting about my looks.

What is the problem with getting older anyway? It ia a whole lot better than the alternative