Paul Tournier offers a variety of suggestions to help make growing old not an end but a new beginning, filled with purpose and hope. He suggests ways to remain active, using leisure to our best advantage and not letting it become a tyrant. He also provides insights on taking up new interests; becoming involved with young people and new ideas; and learning to pray, to meditate, to acquire wisdom, and to increasingly draw strength and inspiration from the reality of divine presence and power.
In this warm, sensitive, fact-filled book, Paul Tournier deals specifically with many aspects of aging: society's attitude toward the elderly, second careers, the quality of life, financial difficulties, boredom, health, loneliness, and facing death. He maintains the best way to learn to grow old is to prepare for it throughout life.
I Work and Leisure
What the sociologists say 1
Leisure - a 'frightening prospect'? 4
A difficult reconversion 7
The two turning-points of life 9
Preparing for retirement 12
Surprises 15
The fear of liberty 18
Personal development and spontaneity 21
The morality of duty 24
Duty and pleasure are complementary 26
'Idleness is the mother of all the vices' 29
The break with routine 32
II Towards a More Humane
Contempt for the old 36
An impersonal society 39
The mission of the old 42
The medicine of the person 44
A wider vision 47
The irrational dimension 50
Overcoming old prejudices 52
Overcoming contempt 55
The development of the child 58
Personal contact 62
Young and old 65
Grandparents and grandchildren 67
Make contact with the old! 70
Respect for the person 72
Real contact with all 75
III The Condition of the Old
My privileges 78
Easing retirement regulations 81
The resources of the retired 86
National pride 89
Solitude. 91
Growing old together 93
Family and friendship 96
Social integration 99
Health 102
Hospitalization 104
Living quarters 107
Do it yourself! 109
Educate yourself! 112
Boredom 115
A decisive change 118
IV A Second Career
A place for the old 122
Not a hobby, but a career 124
An interesting and useful career 128
Contrast with the professional career 131
A more personal career 134
Giving up giving orders 138
More imagination! 142
More initiative! 146
More diversity! 150
Further examples 153
The search for divine inspiration 155
Death caused by retirement 158
The work of Professor Jores 160
Life as a task to be fulfilled 164
V Acceptance
Who can claim to have fulfilled his task? 169
Accepting the unfulfilled 171
Must we accept everything? 175
The meaning of acceptance 177
In harmony with oneself 180
Positive acceptance 183
Has old age a meaning? 187
Detachment from the world 190
Renouncing without resigning 192
A wider love 195
A less possessive love 197
The sublimation of the instinct of power 200
Outside the hierarchy and money 203
Each stage has its meaning 206
Towards a more universal meaning 209
Surrender 212
VI Faith
Old age foreshadows death 215
Is it easier for believers to accept? 218
Faith does not exclude anxiety 221
Philosophical positions 224
The Christian position 227
The victory of faith 229
Thoughts of a priest-doctor 232
Resurrection 233
What do we know of the beyond? 236
The resurrection of Jesus Christ 237
Personal experience 238
Notes 242
Overview
Paul Tournier offers a variety of suggestions to help make growing old not an end but a new beginning, filled with purpose and hope. He suggests ways to remain active, using leisure to our best advantage and not letting it become a tyrant. He also provides insights on taking up new interests; becoming involved with young people and new ideas; and learning to pray, to meditate, to acquire wisdom, and to increasingly draw strength and inspiration from the reality of divine ...