Since 1955, when I first became involved in the field, there has been much progress in geriatric psychiatry. I would like to add here some general, even philosophic, considerations to this very important discipline; I offer these as a series of messages to keep in mind as we approach the 21st century. While we pursue our specific interests as psychogeriamcians, we must also keep in mind these more general issues and work toward a philosophy of individual and societal aging and longevity, drawing on both Eastern and Western thought.