Abstract
Many human experiences are “consummatory” in that their meaning is clarified by the perspective of their final stages. Old age invites consummatory assessments of the major stages, relationships and events in our past lives. This affects gerontology in two ways. First, the consummatory quality of aging should be measured by life-satisfaction indexes. Neglect of consummation in life-satisfaction indexes can lead to bias in testing theories of aging. Second, achieving favorable consummations in old age is one form of human fulfillment. Since external conditions can affect consummations either favorably or unfavorably, there is a public duty to create social conditions that promote favorable consummations.
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