Aging: Older Really Can Mean Better

 Isn’t it nice that experts are telling us that there is an upside to getting older?  Charlie Brown, writing for The Washington Post (February 9, 2010) writes about people well into their 80s and 90s who are going to yoga and Pilates classes, volunteering, taking college classes, and doing all sorts of things that used to be considered young person pursuits.

 

Think about it!  One of the highlights is that older people have developed a sense of perspective.  I guess this is what is known as being able to see “the big picture.”   This perspective and the wisdom that older people bring to every encounter is significantly enhanced as the years go by, and it comes at a time when they are able to actually use it to give something back to their communities.

 

You have often heard the old adage about being older and wiser and it is true.   An article by Steven Swinford (Sunday Times, London (June 27, 2010) discusses studies that have discovered that the human brain can improve with age, which dispels the notion that mental faculties peak in the twenties.  It also follows the studies that indicate that mental and physical exercise also boosts brain power.

 

An older person’s judgment is what makes the difference.  Older people have more experience, which gives them the ability to think through problems logically and sensibly.  While a younger person is jumping all over the place looking for solutions, older people can draw from experience and are less apt to be swayed by emotion or impulse.

 

Sports that require repetitive action and learned muscle responses are still an option. Today, as people get into their seventies, they are more active. You may have exhibited peak performances early on, but it is often not until later in life that you can demonstrate how discipline, thinking, and strategy enter into the picture.

 

Language skills continue to improve, not to mention skills that depend on strategy and learning.  Not only do you have experiences to build on but the brain stores new learned patterns, so don’t let anyone tell you that it is all down hill.  Despite slower brain speed, older people solve problems more efficiently than they did when they were younger.

 

 If you just look at aging as a series of losses you start thinking in terms of negative rather than positive attributes, and then you are doomed.  The key is to use that perspective and that wisdom to look at new occurrences as brand new opportunities.  As people age they retain vocabulary, IQ and expertise, which can actually improve with time.