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Interview with Roberto Assagioli<\/strong> Editorial note<\/strong> In this reflective interview, Roberto Assagioli addresses the psychological and spiritual dimensions of aging and death. Speaking with Solange de Marignac, he discusses physical limitation, inner freedom, lifelong development, and the continuity of consciousness beyond bodily decline. Drawing on examples from science, personal experience, and psychosynthesis, Assagioli emphasizes attitude, acceptance, and inner growth as decisive factors in aging well. He articulates his conviction in the perenniality of life and presents the \u201cpsychosynthesis of the ages\u201d as a way of integrating the qualities of childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age into a unified inner life.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n Interview granted by Dr. Roberto Assagioli to Ms. Solange de Marignac in January 1970. Translation from French to Italian was revised and corrected by Dr. Assagioli.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\r\n S. de M. – Many people fear that old age will bring them physical limitations and that this will adversely affect their moral and intellectual capacities. May I ask you, who have been severely affected in your health, how do you view this problem?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n RA – Moral and intellectual capacities are not necessarily affected by physical limitations, even severe ones. And this is true at any age. Numerous examples testify to this: I will mention only Charles Darwin, who could work only one or two hours a day; William James, who had precarious health all his life; and above all I will recall the luminous example of Adele Kahn who, while confined to her bed by a disease of the spinal column, carried out a beneficial missionary work for numerous sick people by her words and her writings.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n As for me, the considerable physical limitations due to age do not seem to affect my abilities, as I will say shortly. On the contrary, I take advantage of some of these limitations, such as deafness, which prevents me \u2014 it is true \u2014 from listening to the music I love. But it spares me from listening to the music I do not love and \u2014 above all \u2014 to a lot of … <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>[1]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> nonsense!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n In my opinion, a lot depends on our attitude. A serene acceptance of limitations (and this goes for all \u2014 even non-physical ones \u2014 and who doesn’t have them?) greatly eliminates their negative influence. They can be seen as a challenge to overcome, and thus encourage us to compensate and \u2014 perhaps \u2014 overcompensate.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n
Conducted by Solange de Marignac<\/strong>, January 1970
Assagioli Archives, Florence
Original title: Vecchiaia e Morte<\/em>
Translated from Italian by Jan Kuniholm and Francesco Viglienghi
Translation from French revised by Roberto Assagioli<\/p>\r\n
This text is a transcript of an interview with Roberto Assagioli conducted by Solange de Marignac in 1970. Roberto Assagioli is the subject of the interview and not the author of a written article. The title, abstract, and cross-sections in this online edition have been added by the editor, Kenneth S\u00f8rensen, to support readability, navigation, and archival consistency. The original wording of the interview has not been altered.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Physical Limitation and Inner Freedom<\/h3>\r\n
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Attitude, Acceptance, and Creative Compensation<\/h3>\r\n
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