There is a popular adage that says, “Life begins at forty”. Simple truths about life are expressed and popularized by proverbs or sayings. However, people interpret these in many different ways, normally depending on their experiences. I assume that the reason why the saying goes like this is because people in their early days usually only see what’s in front of them, and don’t know much about life resulting from the lack of many life experiences. However, I disagree with the statement because of three reasons.
To begin with, people already experience life as soon as they come into the world. As individuals go through the normal process of growth and development, they are already experiencing life. This includes gaining knowledge and understanding about the environment and people around us. Life is an endless process of doing ordinary activities, accepting responsibilities and accomplishing tasks. Like I said, not a single person has the exact same life style and way a person thinks and behaves. Ask yourself with a question like this. What’s the specific criterium when life begins? It is really hard to say only the specific time like 40.
Another point is that saying that “life begins at forty” is like saying that everything before that point is not life. People experience changes in life. One stage flows to the next without people even noticing it. However, as people grow and mature, they become more apprehensive of what the next stage of life will bring. Fears and questions are raised up. They are afraid of getting old and ask themselves if reaching a certain age is the end of youth. Others might start thinking of missed opportunities and might become regretful of the decisions they have made. These make people re-evaluate their lives, but it doesn’t mean that this is the point where their lives began.
Final view point of mine is that the saying “life begins at forty” applies more to males than females. This is the time when most men experience mid-life crisis. Doubts about their physical and emotional capacity emerge. These psychological problems urge them to relive the days of their youth. They fear getting old since they believe that this might be the end of some aspects of their lives, including love and adventure.
In conclusion, people have different life styles and thoughts about many things and see things differently. Sometimes we see things that others don’t really see or see them but don’t want to accept that they have seen them. The meanings of proverbs also differ from one person to the next. The moment a person takes his or her first breath is the moment when life begins. Turing forty is only another stage in life that people must face with courage and hope for the future.