The Warmth of the Heart Prevents Your Body from Rusting

Marie de Hennezel

‘It’s up to us, the baby boomers, to invent a new art of growing old — which is a paradox, since it means accepting the inevitability of ageing without becoming “old”.’ Respected psychologist and psychotherapist Marie de Hennezel proposes that our exploration be guided by the belief that something within us does not grow old: ‘I shall call it the heart. I don’t mean the organ, which does of course age, but the capacity to love and to desire. The heart I refer to is that inexplicable, incomprehensible force which keeps the human being alive …’

The inevitable ageing process does not condemn us to solitude, suffering, degradation, or dependency. Without mincing her words, de Hennezel guides us through a true ‘art of growing old’. She recalls encounters within her clinical practice with ‘those who grow old gracefully’ — and through her experience shows us how to make the most of this time in our lives, how to avoid depression, and how to stay happy.

Marie de Hennezel

Marie de Hennezel is an esteemed psychologist and psychotherapist entrusted with the mission for raising palliative-care awareness by the French ministry of health. She is the author of two ministerial reports about caring for those with terminal illnesses, and has written nine books about the end of life, including Intimate Death.