From Looney Dunes comes a nice piece illustrating that much as fine wines continue to improve with age, so it is with us.
One of the interesting things I’ve learned from reading blogs written by folks my age or older is how many of us feel an internal mental age that’s often decades younger than our physical bodies. I know that’s true for me; as I approached 50 I realized I had moved on to my late 20s or early 30s mentally. Every once in a while I think I may be growing up, but then something happens to disabuse me of that notion.
Interesting too is that at work we’ve had some discussions about the value of what’s called experiential learning; learning by doing, and then being able to both utilize what one has learned, and also share that knowledge with others.
So I encourage you to check out the aforementioned article; here’s a quote to pique your interest:
But it’s not all doom and gloom. An emerging body of research shows that a surprising array of mental functions hold up well into old age, while others actually get better. Vocabulary improves, as do other verbal abilities such as facility with synonyms and antonyms. Older brains are packed with more so-called expert knowledge — information relevant to your occupation or hobby. (Older bridge enthusiasts have at their mental beck-and-call many more bids and responses.) They also store more “cognitive templates,” or mental outlines of generic problems and solutions that can be tapped when confronting new problems.”
And remember: “oh well, a touch of grey, kind of suits you anyway.“