Participle

Who was the last person I called sweetie? I don’t think I’ve ever called anyone that, nor have I really thought much about it when someone has called me sweetie.

But according to researchers like Dr. Becca Levy of Yale University, for older people these “little insults can lead to more negative images of aging,” Dr. Levy said. “And those who have more negative images of aging have worse functional health over time, including lower rates of survival.”

The article continues: “In a long-term survey of 660 people over age 50 in a small Ohio town, published in 2002, Dr. Levy and her fellow researchers found that those who had positive perceptions of aging lived an average of 7.5 years longer, a bigger increase than that associated with exercising or not smoking. The findings held up even when the researchers controlled for differences in the participants’ health conditions. In her forthcoming study, Dr. Levy found that older people exposed to negative images of aging, including words like “forgetful,” “feeble” and “shaky,” performed significantly worse on memory and balance tests; in previous experiments, they also showed higher levels of stress.”

We would happen if our language reflected participation instead of dependance? If we started from a position of strength, replacing needs with capabilities? What’s the opposite of ‘sweetie’?

Here’s the full article: Sweetie and Dear