Paulina Porizkova, 56, Says the Word ‘Still’ in Compliments Is ‘Perpetuating Ageism’
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Paulina Porizkova is encouraging followers to stop using the word “still” in compliments.
“I know it’s kindly meant. But those of you who use the term STILL when commenting on looks or a person’s abilities, are actually perpetuating ageism,” she explained.
The former supermodel consistently starts difficult conversations about aging online in addition to sharing her own pro-aging journey.
Paulina Porizkova never shies away from a teaching moment. The 56-year-old supermodel and activist often shares her thoughts on aging with her fans, from posting a nude photo in response to a hater on Instagram to sharing filter-free, makeup-free selfies to her thoughts on botox—she’s all for keeping it real. Now, she’s using her platform to discuss the effects the word “still” has on us, in terms of compliments.
Think about the last time you complimented someone using the word “still.” For example, you may have said something like: “Wow, you’re still so beautiful,” or “You’ve still got it!” The comment likely had genuine, good intentions. But if you really think about it—what real, positive purpose does the word “still” serve in those gestures? Wouldn’t the compliment be just as powerful (if not more so) without it? That’s a thought Paulina Porizkova wants all of us to chew on.
The supermodel and activist who’s always cracking open new, hard discussions about aging recently posed a similar question to her Instagram followers. “CAN WE PLEASE DO AWAY WITH THE ‘STILL’?!” she wrote. “A ‘still’ is like a ‘but.’ One ruins a compliment, the other ruins an apology.”
To illustrate her point, she shared a graphic that read: “You’re still beautiful. You’re still hot. I’d still date you,” with the damaging word crossed out of each one. “I know it’s kindly meant. But those of you who use the term STILL when commenting on looks or a person’s abilities, are actually perpetuating ageism,” she explained.
She went on to share that the position implies unnecessary surprise; that you can’t believe, despite someone’s age, that they’re still capable of the things they could do or the way they looked when they were younger. That also implies that youth is somehow more valuable than age, which Porizkova vehemently disagrees with in spite of what societal norms say.
“How many times do you hear ‘You’re still smart. You’re still talented. You’re still kind,’” she pointed out. “Not often, right?”
She continued: “You only use the word ‘still’ when you’re referring to something you believe this person has lost. ‘You can still run. You can still play the piano.’ Never ‘You can still read. You are still smart.’”
With that, she urged followers to choose their words more carefully when they want to lift a person up. “Next time you’re tempted to insert a ‘still’ - take a moment,” she wrote. “And don’t.”
The enlightenment was positively received by many, especially those who have been on the other end of similar backhanded compliments. “The worst 😂💯,” one person commented. “YES!!!!! I also love ‘she looks great….for 50, 55, 60….’
Can we also get rid of the the ‘FOR _____’ 😡,” another added. “It’s like saying. ‘I love your haircut, I hardly notice the bags under your eyes anymore!’ Just say ‘I love your haircut!’ 🤷♀️. Be nice. Be kind ❤️,” someone else wrote.
The 56-year-old recently appeared on CBS’s Beyond the Edge, a reality competition series that exposes celebrities to the elements of the Panama jungle with very few tools at their disposal. Porizkova shared about the vulnerable, trying experience on Instagram, and how it fueled her pro-aging journey.
“Being on camera with no makeup, no flattering lights, no attempts at ‘looking good,’ faced me with having to see myself as I am, unvarnished. My initial recoiling of seeing myself so bare, so vulnerable, so ‘older’ looking, has turned into something else,” she wrote. “Freedom.”
She continued: “I’m no longer AFRAID of looking my worst. It’s something I have been working on for a while—but only complete immersion in reality kicked my butt to the other side. This is me. And I think it looks fine.”
Notice how she didn’t use the word, “still.”
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