Charles Leadbeater doesn’t seem the most obvious candidate to preach on the benefits and wisdom that come with growing old. Having just hit 50, he’s still squarely middle-aged. Furthermore, as a leading authority on innovation and creativity, the future possibilities that Charles contemplates in his day job are more likely to involve the potential impact of cutting edge technologies or rise of mass participation in the business sector than what might make a good death.  

 

But Charles isn’t suffering a mid-life crisis. He’ll be drawing on his myriad expertise to argue that the most useful strategy for living life to its fullest is to look at it back to front.  

 

To consider a good old age and ultimately, a good death, can give us valuable insights about how we can live better lives. While we tout the young as a revolutionary force for change, we miss the fact that our elders are the ones most likely to challenge the dominant values of our consumer culture. Where the values of youth are about possession, consumption, expression and individuality, the values that underpin dignity in age and death are about relationships, connectedness, sharing and participation – far more powerful drivers for social change.