Psychology says the reason some people become gentler as they age while others become bitter has nothing to do with personality. It depends on whether they processed their grief along the way or stored it in their body and called it toughness - Silicon Canals

"The grief that determines whether someone softens or hardens with age is mostly the quieter kind. It's the friendship that faded without explanation, the career that plateaued ten years before you were ready, and the marriage that didn't break but slowly became something you didn't recognize."

"Psychologists call these 'non-finite losses,' losses that are ongoing, ambiguous, and lack clear social recognition. There's no sympathy card for the life you expected and didn't get."

Grief impacts personality development, particularly in aging. Non-finite losses, such as faded friendships, stalled careers, and unfulfilled personal expectations, shape emotional responses. Unlike traditional grief associated with clear events, these quieter losses lack social recognition and ceremonies. They accumulate over time, influencing whether individuals become softer or more bitter. The way people process grief, rather than their inherent temperament, plays a crucial role in their emotional resilience and outlook on life as they age.

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