Age periods of human life

The concept of "age" can be viewed from various aspects: in terms of the chronology of events, biological processes of the body, social formation and psychological development.

Age covers the whole life path. It starts counting from birth and ends with physiological death. Age shows the time period from birth to a specific event in a person’s life.

Birth, maturity, development, old age - everythingthese are periods of human life, of which the whole earthly path consists. Being born, a man began his first stage, and further, over time, will pass all of them sequentially.

Classification of age periods in terms of biology

A single classification does not exist, at different times it was composed differently. The distinction between periods is associated with a certain age when significant changes occur in the human body.

Age periods of a person's life are periods between key “points”.

Passport or chronological age may notcoincide with the biological. It is by the latter that one can judge about the capabilities of a person: how he will do his job, what loads his body can withstand. Biological age can both lag behind the passport and stay ahead of it.

Consider the classification of life periods, which is based on the concept of age based on physiological changes of the body:

The views of scientists on the age periods of human life

Depending on the epoch and country, scientists and philosophers proposed various criteria for the gradation of the main life stages.

For example:

• Chinese scientists divided human life into 7 phases. “Desired”, for example, was called age from 60 to 70 years. This is a period of development of spirituality and wisdom of man.
• The ancient Greek scientist Pythagoras identified the stages of human life with the seasons. Each lasted 20 years.
• The ideas of Hippocrates became fundamental for the further definition of periods of life. He singled out 10, each 7 years long, starting from birth.

Periods of life in Pythagoras

The ancient philosopher Pythagoras, considering the stages of human existence, identified them with the seasons. He singled out four of them:

• Spring is the beginning and development of life, from birth to 20 years.
• Summer is youth, from 20 to 40 years.
• Autumn - flourishing, from 40 to 60 years.
• Winter - extinction, from 60 to 80 years.

Periods of human life in Pythagoras hadthe duration is exactly 20 years. Pythagoras believed that everything on Earth is measured by numbers, to which he treated not only as mathematical symbols, but also gave them some kind of magical meaning. The numbers also allowed him to determine the characteristics of the cosmic order.

Pythagoras also applied the concept of the Quaternary to the age periods, because he compared them with eternal, unchanging natural phenomena, such as the elements.

Periods of human life (according to Pythagoras) and theiradvantages are based on the idea of ​​the eternal return. Life is eternal, like alternating seasons, and man is a part of nature, lives and develops according to its laws.

The concept of "seasons" by Pythagoras

Identifying the age intervals of a person’s life with the seasons of the year, Pythagoras emphasized that:

• Spring is the time of the beginning, the birth of life. The child develops, with the pleasure of absorbing new knowledge. It is interesting for him all around, but everything is still happening as a game. The baby is blooming.
• Summer is a period of growing up. Man blooms, he is attracted by everything new, the unknown. Continuing to flourish, a person does not lose his childhood fun.
• Autumn - a man became an adult, balanced, former gaiety gave way to confidence and unhurriedness.
• Winter - a period of reflection and debriefing. The man has gone most of the way and is now considering the results of his life.

The main periods of the earthly path of people

Considering the existence of the individual, we can distinguish the main periods of human life:

• youth;
• mature age;
• old age.

At each step, a person acquires something new, reconsiders his values, changes the social status in society.

The basis of existence are periods of human life. Features of each of them are associated with maturation, changes in the environment, the state of the soul.

Features of the main stages of the existence of personality

Periods of human life have their own characteristics: each stage complements the previous one, brings with it something new, something that has not yet been in life.

Youth is inherent maximalism:the dawn of mental and creative abilities occurs, the basic physiological processes of growing up are completed, the appearance and well-being are improved. At this age, a system of life values ​​is established, time begins to be valued, self-control rises, others are re-evaluated. Man is determined by the direction of his life.

Having reached the threshold of maturity, a person has already reachedcertain vertices. In the professional field, he occupies a stable position. This period coincides with the strengthening and maximum development of social status, decisions are made deliberately, a person does not shirk responsibility, appreciates today, can forgive himself and others for the mistakes made, really appreciates himself and others. This is the age of achievement, conquering peaks and obtaining maximum opportunities for its development.

Old age is more associated with losses than withacquisitions. A person finishes labor activity, his social environment is changing, inevitable physiological changes appear. However, a person can still engage in self-development, in most cases it happens more on a spiritual level, on the development of the inner world.

Critical points

The most important periods of a person’s life are related tochanges in the body. They can also be called critical: hormonal changes, which cause changes in mood, irritability and nervousness.

Psychologist E. Erickson identifies 8 crisis periods of a person’s life:

• Teenage years.
• The entry of a person into adulthood is the thirtieth birthday.
• Go to the fourth decade.
• The fortieth anniversary.
• The middle of life is 45 years.
• Fiftieth anniversary.
• Fifty-fifth anniversary.
• Fiftieth Anniversary.

Confident overcoming the "critical points"

Overcoming each of the presented periods, a person moves to a new stage of development, at the same time he overcomes the difficulties that have arisen on his way and seeks to conquer new heights of his life.

In adolescence, the child breaks away from his parents and tries to independently find his direction in life.

In the third ten people review their principles, change their views on the environment.

Approaching the fourth ten, people are trying to gain a foothold in life, climb the career ladder, begin to think more rationally.

In the middle of life, a person begins to wonder if he lives correctly. There is a desire to do something that will leave the memory of him. There is frustration and fear for their lives.

In 50 years, the slowdown of physiological processesaffects health, age changes occur. However, a person has already correctly set life priorities, his nervous system is working stably.

In 55 years, wisdom appears, a person enjoys life.

At 56, a person thinks more about the spiritual side of his life, develops the inner world.

Doctors say that if you are ready and aware of the critical periods of life, then they will be overcome calmly and painlessly.

Conclusion

The person himself decides by what criteria he shares his life periods, and what he puts into the concept of "age". It may be:

• Purely external attractiveness, which a person seeks to extend by all available means. And he considers himself young, as long as his appearance allows.
• The division of life into "youth" and "end of youth." The first period lasts as long as there is an opportunity to live without obligations, problems, responsibility, the second - when problems arise, life difficulties.
• Physiological changes in the body. A person clearly follows the changes and identifies his age with them.
• The concept of age is related to the state of the soul and consciousness. Man measures his age with a state of mind and inner freedom.

While human life is filled with meaning, desireto learn something new, and all this is organically combined with the wisdom and spiritual wealth of the inner world; a person will be eternally young, despite the weakening of the physical capabilities of his body.