In American society, signs of aging are seen as a negative aspect brought about by the natural passage of time. Everywhere you look, anti-aging campaigns can be found advertising extreme skincare routines, intrusive plastic surgery, or some other unnatural method of physical suppression. Most of these ads are specifically targeted towards women, whose value is placed upon their youth and beauty by society from an early age. These ingrained superficial values then lead to women feeling ashamed and disappointed with their self image once past their perceived “prime,” leading to desperate attempts to salvage an artificial eternal youth. Born of ancient Greek aesthetic ideals, today’s Western beauty standards demand an impossible standard of perfection, prioritizing flawless skin, proper symmetry, and most importantly, youthful vigor. Placing such unreasonable expectations against the perpetual effects of time makes western views of aging degrading and bleak.

In direct contrast, the ancient Japanese design aesthetic of wabi-sabi states that signs of an object’s aging are exactly what make it beautiful, especially when found in nature. It finds great aesthetic appeal in imperfections, as they reveal the hidden history and character within the artifact. Furthermore, it depicts naturally aged patina as a desirable aspect instead of an eyesore. Overall, it promotes the idea of earthly objects as imperfect and impermanent, and that their inherent value is not diminished by those factors, but rather enhanced.

By applying this rhetoric that embraces and accepts rather than shames and denies, views of aging in the West could be reinterpreted into an appreciated privilege of life. “Wrinkles are merely a reminder of the laughs that caused them.”