Image by Chris Linnett on Unsplash.
That was the title of a recent Forbes article. I say, “Nonsense! This is BS.”
The point of the article is that older women discover a new joy in helping others with ageism. Some became mentors and founder groups. But I wouldn’t call this a silver lining.
This is like saying some people find meaning in other isms such as racism or anti-Semitism. Or in anything negative.
The article quotes a survey where 78% of respondents were personally victimized by ageism. About 80% reported observing others who experienced discrimination.
There is no “silver lining” for victims of ageism. There is a strong response: start your own business and fight for change.
But wouldn’t it be nice if those people could redirect their energies to other meaningful goals? Wouldn’t it be nice if they didn’t have to spend their energy fighting ageism?
I suspect the author of this article had nothing to do with the title. Usually editors assign titles and authors get in trouble.
The article could have been titled “How women are responding to ageism.”
That would be fair.
But sorry folks, there’s no “silver lining” in ageism. Anyway, I hate the saying, “Every cloud has a silver lining. Sometimes the situation just sucks.”
