Life stories: Wisdom of life experience among wise elders in Hong Kong context

Abstract

Wisdom does not fade with age. According to Erikson’s psychosocial stage of development, attainment of wisdom is the optimal development of the person after he or she has experienced many crises (Erikson, 1959), which has a profoundly positive influence on elders’ life satisfaction, independent of objective circumstances (Ardelt, 1997). In exploring how elders apply wisdom is a way to encourage productive and healthy aging, the present study aims to explore the wisdom in Chinese elders’ lives and its manifestation. The life review approach was adopted using in-depth interviews to tap wisdom-related experiences from 12 older adults, who were nominated as wise elders based on the findings of an exploratory study of conceptions of elderly wisdom (Chow, in press). Three main themes were identified: values and life philosophies, pragmatics of life, and individual attributes. Critical life experience and reflection were keys for elders to attain wisdom. The female nominees showed attributes contrasting with those of traditional gender roles. The influence of gender role expectations and culture on wisdom in elderly people is discussed.