USA, July 6 -- AS much as we wish it werent true, there often comes a point in life where celebrating birthdays goes from a joyful milestone to one with an undercurrent of melancholy.

It symbolizes getting older and all the things that come with it—greying hair and more pronounced expression lines, a body thats a bit more tired than it used to be, and worries of turning “invisible” in our society. We measure time differently, not in how far weve come but in how quickly its passing.

Here, were putting this common fear of aging into perspective. Well examine how this fear has existed and evolved through time, and why it might feel more intense in todays world, and pinpoint some common reasons why we fear aging in the fir...