This fear may lead people to develop a negative attitude about older persons because it is rooted in fear -- fear of what will become of them someday (if they live that long). Nelson (2004, x) adheres to this way of thinking. He says, "Merely thinking about (or seeing) an older person tends to arouse anxiety about the fact that one has a short time on earth, and the fear associated with such cognitions tends to provoke the perceiver to dislike the individual (or group) who elicits such fear." While Nelson's (2004, x) theory may be easy to understand, it still does not make ageism right.

Another factor related to ageism is the way in which men and women who are aging are viewed differently. Women may hear the compliment, "You look so young," more than men because in our society it is much more important for women to look...
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