Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Blind from birth folks: in what ways do you understand the concept of aging? (self.Blind)
submitted by fromRUEtoRUIN
quanin 3 points 4y ago
... Huh? What does being blind at all have to do with the concept of ageing?
fromRUEtoRUIN [OP] 2 points 4y ago
Everyone constructs and understands their worlds differently. I wanted to know how never seeing old things would effect the way someone thinks about aging
quanin 2 points 4y ago
But... that makes absolutely no sense, though. I mean you only need to have a degree of self-awareness to get the concept of ageing (also: please note the proper spelling of it). Beyond that, it's a product of how you're raised--from respecting your elders to an appreciation for older music, or TV shows, or to an extent, antiques. If you're not taught to value the age of things, then you're probably not going to. Having or not having sight doesn't really play into that. Being able to look up to someone who's lived through some of history's important events, on the other hand, just might.
fromRUEtoRUIN [OP] 4 points 4y ago
It does make sense though, despite you feeling smart and superior for some reason. Sight is a dominant sense and has an impact on the way people understand their world. There's no reason to continue this back-and-forth though.
Aging
Aging
CloudyBeep 1 points 4y ago
Although sight is undoubtedly the sense that provides the most information (and please don't cite that 80% statistic because it's wrong, but it's still a lot), blind people understand the world quite well without it. Rather than having assumptions that we must understand things differently because you don't see how we could understand something, learn about us so you don't seem smart when you seem to know very little about blindness. We know about us; you don't know about us; so if you want to learn about us, listen to what we have to say.
quanin 0 points 4y ago
If you didn't want to hear the answer, then why did you ask the question? You have your own ideas, clearly, so what exactly was the point?
CloudyBeep 2 points 4y ago
And why would it be something perceived differently by blind people?
Nandflash 2 points 4y ago
I have no idea why so many people are hating on this question but they do that to a lot of the questions asked here. I think most people here are either partially sighted or went blind later in life, so their blindness didn't really change how they think about things.
Anyway, coming from someone who was born blind, I think of the things that happen when something ages when trying to picture something old. For example, if I were to picture an old building, I might think of a building with peeling and fading paint. I'd also consider the construction of the building depending on how old it is.
When talking about things that are both old and not around anymore, it becomes a little more difficult to picture. I've seen models of dinosaurs for example, but I still miss out on the small details, especially since their were so many different kinds.
Anyway, coming from someone who was born blind, I think of the things that happen when something ages when trying to picture something old. For example, if I were to picture an old building, I might think of a building with peeling and fading paint. I'd also consider the construction of the building depending on how old it is.
When talking about things that are both old and not around anymore, it becomes a little more difficult to picture. I've seen models of dinosaurs for example, but I still miss out on the small details, especially since their were so many different kinds.
fromRUEtoRUIN [OP] 1 points 4y ago
Thanks! I appreciate that. Do you think all that has any affect on your valuation of things? Take, for instance, my tools, which I baby when they are new, but over time seeing them with signs of wear I become less cautious and am more willing to run them to failure. Or what about the elderly, who tend to be disregarded or devalued based on their outward appearance? These questions are a little out there so please try to interpret and apply them to your specifics.
Nandflash 1 points 4y ago
For sure. I do the same with things that I own that you do with your tools. As things get older and more beat up, I may not be as gentle with them as I would have been when they were new, since a few more scratches or dings isn't going to make a difference at that point.
It's kind of weird thinking about how much I'll focus on not causing the first scratch, but once it's a little beat up, it doesn't really bother me anymore.
I can't think of a way to word my response to how I think about the elderly. I don't really think about their appearance, just the fact that they're older and the potential issues that may come with that.
It's kind of weird thinking about how much I'll focus on not causing the first scratch, but once it's a little beat up, it doesn't really bother me anymore.
I can't think of a way to word my response to how I think about the elderly. I don't really think about their appearance, just the fact that they're older and the potential issues that may come with that.
bradley22 1 points 4y ago
Everything lives and then dies and within that cycle of living and dying, things age
In humans, skin becomes less taught and stiff instead becoming loose and hanging, hair will fall out too and memory won’t be as good as it was.
That’s my understanding of aging.
Having said all that, if you look after your body, you can lessen the affects.
In humans, skin becomes less taught and stiff instead becoming loose and hanging, hair will fall out too and memory won’t be as good as it was.
That’s my understanding of aging.
Having said all that, if you look after your body, you can lessen the affects.
fromRUEtoRUIN [OP] 1 points 4y ago
Pretty standard. Right on. Do you have an internal "picture" of what people look like? Does that picture "age" for you or does it remain the same no matter how old they actually get?
How about aging non-living things?
How about aging non-living things?
[deleted] 1 points 4y ago
[deleted]
bradley22 1 points 4y ago
I’ve never really thought about it.
I don’t have anyone I care about to picture them like that.
I’ve not thought about things like trees and plants.
I don’t have anyone I care about to picture them like that.
I’ve not thought about things like trees and plants.
fromRUEtoRUIN [OP] 1 points 4y ago
You don't have anyone you care about enough to think about them that thoroughly, or you have no desire to imagine those close to you as different ages (not a necessary identifier for you)?
Have you thought of things like an old 2x4, aged brick, or jeans faded with wear?
Have you thought of things like an old 2x4, aged brick, or jeans faded with wear?
CloudyBeep 2 points 4y ago
With regard to people close to us, we won't see a person's hair greying, but we will see their walking pace slowing, their memory failing, their reminiscences of days long past and their increasing healthcare needs. These changes 'can be observed regardless of one's level of vision.
We can certainly compare some new things andold things. When I started university, when walking into a building, I could tell quite quickly whether it was newer or older. I can tell a computer is old by the way it feels. Just by feeling the upholstery on a chair can generally give a good idea about whether it's older or newer..
We can certainly compare some new things andold things. When I started university, when walking into a building, I could tell quite quickly whether it was newer or older. I can tell a computer is old by the way it feels. Just by feeling the upholstery on a chair can generally give a good idea about whether it's older or newer..
bradley22 1 points 4y ago
If I had a girlfriend, I might think of her aging but it wouldn’t be a huge thing to me.
As for clothes, I don’t think of them aging although it does annoy me a little when my underpants get wholes in them.
As for clothes, I don’t think of them aging although it does annoy me a little when my underpants get wholes in them.
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