Of Pain, Suffering and Solitude of Old People

Summary

The author, clinical psychologist and philosopher, deals with three questions which are mostpressing at old age for giving the framework of suffering and disease as well as being a commonpart of existential feelings in health old people. The examples illustrating these opinions includebiography and opinions of the philosopher Nietzsche (1844 - 1900), who suffered from syphilis andpsychosis and expressed these opinions in a genial way in his poetic-philosophic work „So SaidZarathustra“. Nietzsche, as well as other two subjects of the assay, Imanuel Kant (1724 - 1804) and F.M. Dostojevsky (1821 - 1881) looked for answers to questions which they had to accept in spite of theirrefusal (also T. G. Masaryk felt lonely at this high age). The author question the Kant‘s categoricalimperative as an effort of people to adapt to the average. The specifi cally documented circumstancesinclude progressing dementia in Kant, shown in his correspondence, solitude and suffering ofDostojevsky, who was affected by epilepsy of GM type and projected his conditions to heroes of hisnovels. The authors warns against a false sympathy, which the patients usually disclose and, after 30years of practice, raises a question whether professionals are adequately prepared to answer thesequestions. The pity may be intrusive and extortionary and the author is of the opinion that the sloganof the International Year of Seniors 1999: the World Belongs to All Generations should be exercisedin practice.

Key words:
seniority, pain, suffering, solitude, Kant I., Dostojevsky F. M., Nietzsche F.