--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Older people may have always existed…" description: "\"Older people may have always existed throughout history, but they were rare.\" — S. Jay Olshansky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/s-jay-olshansky-11747_always_older-people-may-have-always-existed-thr_2903186.jpg" --- # Older people may have always existed throughout history… ![“Older people may have always existed throughout history, but they were rare.” quote by S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/s-jay-olshansky-11747_always_older-people-may-have-always-existed-thr_2903186.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/s-jay-olshansky-11747_always_older-people-may-have-always-existed-thr_2903186.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/s-jay-olshansky-11747_always_older-people-may-have-always-existed-thr_2903186.jpg) > “Older people may have always existed throughout history, but they were rare.” [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Older individuals have always existed but were historically uncommon. **In simple terms:** Elderly were rare in history. Key Takeaway Plan for an aging population. Themes demography history aging Mood concerned forwardlooking Type demographic social When to use this quote - healthcare planning - social services - policy making Key Concepts population trends longevity research Questions to Reflect On - How will societies adapt? - What resources are needed? A Different Perspective Aging societies now face new challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Older people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Only our memories allow that some people ever existed. That they mattered, or mattered too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-r-lansdale/only-our-memories-allow-that-some-people-ever-existed-that-they/) [Joe R. Lansdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-r-lansdale/) > [“I was going to do something I'd never done, and see things I could not understand and never believed existed. This is history, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-smith/i-was-going-to-do-something-i-d-never-done-and-see-things-i-could-not/) [Andrew Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-smith/) > [I don't want to big myself up, but goals like mine leave a mark on history because they're rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-giroud/i-don-t-want-to-big-myself-up-but-goals-like-mine-leave-a-mark-on/) [Olivier Giroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-giroud/) > [The problem is that my generation was pacified into believing that racism existed only in our history books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chance-the-rapper/the-problem-is-that-my-generation-was-pacified-into-believing-that/) [Chance The Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chance-the-rapper/) > [“But history is that rare woman who doesn't like to look at herself in the mirror. History, when she finds herself in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yevgeny-yevtushenko/but-history-is-that-rare-woman-who-doesn-t-like-to-look-at-herself-in/) [Yevgeny Yevtushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yevgeny-yevtushenko/) > [We had to depend on other institutions to do research on our behalf. We had to use the information that already existed to craft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-had-to-depend-on-other-institutions-to-do-research-on-our-behalf/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Stasis is something that has marked my life since I was a boy growing up in Pittsburgh with my mother. It was the natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-sayrafiezadeh/stasis-is-something-that-has-marked-my-life-since-i-was-a-boy-growing/) [Said Sayrafiezadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-sayrafiezadeh/) > [The interesting thing about history sometimes. is that you know these people existed, and you knew what jobs they did, but you don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-interesting-thing-about-history-sometimes-is-that-you-know-these/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [But I certainly know a lot of people that existed at that level and are always kind of pining for more, always thinking that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-haden-church/but-i-certainly-know-a-lot-of-people-that-existed-at-that-level-and/) [Thomas Haden Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haden-church/) > [The Americans had not played a very prominent part in the war of 1914-1918, he (Adolf Hitler) thought, and moreover, had not made any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/the-americans-had-not-played-a-very-prominent-part-in-the-war-of-1914/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [“Mr Greenleaf was such a decent fellow himself, he took it for granted that everybody else in the world was decent, too. Tom had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/mr-greenleaf-was-such-a-decent-fellow-himself-he-took-it-for-granted/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“Still, whencesoever derived, the Egyptian people, as it existed in the flourishing time of Egyptian history, was beyond all question a mixed race, showing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-rawlinson/still-whencesoever-derived-the-egyptian-people-as-it-existed-in-the/) George Rawlinson > [I never could get on with representative individuals but people who existed on their own account and with whom it might therefore be possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/i-never-could-get-on-with-representative-individuals-but-people-who/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [“People existed, however, who believed that closet racist were everywhere around them. They needed to believe this in order to have prupose and meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/people-existed-however-who-believed-that-closet-racist-were/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [One particular aspect of Siddhartha’s revelation of the outside world has always struck me. Quite possibly he lived his first thirty years without any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tammet/one-particular-aspect-of-siddhartha-s-revelation-of-the-outside-world/) [Daniel Tammet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tammet/) ## More by S. Jay Olshansky > [A lifetime of low calories has come naturally to the longest-lived people in the world... in the Japanese archipelago of Okinawa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/a-lifetime-of-low-calories-has-come-naturally-to-the-longest-lived/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [What we know for sure from our work and from others' is that mice have a life span of 1,000 days, dogs have 5,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/what-we-know-for-sure-from-our-work-and-from-others-is-that-mice-have/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [The modern rise of Alzheimer's Disease in the twentieth century is not a sign of failure. It's a sign of success. Success in living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/the-modern-rise-of-alzheimer-s-disease-in-the-twentieth-century-is/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [As soon as a handful of scientists come up with an intervention shown to influence aging in other species, they begin selling it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/as-soon-as-a-handful-of-scientists-come-up-with-an-intervention-shown/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Reducing caloric intake is the only proven method of extending life. If caloric intake is reduced to 20 percent below maintenance, you can extend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/reducing-caloric-intake-is-the-only-proven-method-of-extending-life/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [I'm not sure the least educated members of the population are missing out on the advances in medical technology as much as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/i-m-not-sure-the-least-educated-members-of-the-population-are-missing/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Ageing is very rare. We only see it in humans and laboratory animals and in zoo animals and in our pets. Basically, organisms that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/ageing-is-very-rare-we-only-see-it-in-humans-and-laboratory-animals/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [People pushing the idea that everyone can live to be 100 are perpetuating a myth that goes all the way back to the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/people-pushing-the-idea-that-everyone-can-live-to-be-100-are/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [I have little doubt that gerontologists will eventually find a way to avoid, or more likely, delay, the unpleasantries of extended life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/i-have-little-doubt-that-gerontologists-will-eventually-find-a-way-to/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Lifespan extension has never really been a goal of aging science, nor should it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/lifespan-extension-has-never-really-been-a-goal-of-aging-science-nor/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [We're not trying to make us live forever; we're not trying to even make us live significantly longer. What we're trying to do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever-we-re-not-trying-to-even/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Death is a zero sum game for which there is no cure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/death-is-a-zero-sum-game-for-which-there-is-no-cure/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [The Faustian trade of the 20th century was, we got 30 years of additional life, but in return we got heart disease, cancer, stroke,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/the-faustian-trade-of-the-20th-century-was-we-got-30-years-of/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [As long as humans have existed, we have always desired to live longer. Every society, every religion, every culture. Of course, they all failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/as-long-as-humans-have-existed-we-have-always-desired-to-live-longer/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Do we really want to continue to push out the envelope of survival only to see other things crop up that we may not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/do-we-really-want-to-continue-to-push-out-the-envelope-of-survival/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) [Explore all 58 S. Jay Olshansky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Older people may have always existed throughout history, but they were rare.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "S. Jay Olshansky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/older-people-may-have-always-existed-throughout-history-but-they-were/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/older-people-may-have-always-existed-throughout-history-but-they-were/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/s-jay-olshansky-11747_always_older-people-may-have-always-existed-thr_2903186.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/s-jay-olshansky-11747_always_older-people-may-have-always-existed-thr_2903186.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/s-jay-olshansky-11747_always_older-people-may-have-always-existed-thr_2903186.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Older people may have always existed throughout history, but they were rare.” — S. Jay Olshansky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "S. Jay Olshansky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Older people may have always existed...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/older-people-may-have-always-existed-throughout-history-but-they-were/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/older-people-may-have-always-existed-throughout-history-but-they-were/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```