The birth rates in Europe are so low that there are now more people in Italy over 60 than under the age of 20. Greece, Spain, and Germany will all be in the same boat soon; not enough young people to support the aging population.
The everyday use of âaffectâ is the verb, meaning âto influenceâ (his methods affected me greatly), but it also means âto feignâ (he affected nonchalance). The everyday use of âeffectâ is the noun, meaning âresultâ (the effect of this has been to make him proud) or âinfluenceâ (he has had such an effect on me).
A severe restriction in the display and intensity of emotions is known as the blunted affect. It is characterized by an individual's inability to express his feelings either verbally or non-verbally, especially when related to issues that would normally illicit the response.