It may be true that you may not process things as quickly and you may forget a few little things, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t hold your own against the youngsters in your life. Annie Murphy Paul (Oprah: May 11, 2011) identifies ten ways that you actually get smarter at you get older.
You have probably heard about the right brain/ left brain school of thought. The brain is divided into two hemispheres with each side specializing in different tasks. Young people are more apt to use only one side of their brain for a specific task. Middle and older aged adults are more likely to activate both sides simultaneously. By involving both sides of the brain older people bring the full power of their brain into each problem solving situation.
Your brain cells do not die off as you get older. The brain, at any age, continually reshapes itself in response to what you are learning. The moral of the story is that you should never stop learning.
Your reasoning and problem solving skills get better. We always knew this but often wondered if anyone else did. This is the reason that middle and older aged people make smarter money decisions than their younger counterparts.
You have learned how to focus on the upside of each situation. You are more optimistic and view things more philosophically. You know, for example, that you aren’t “going to die” if you get a pimple or don’t have a Friday night date.
Your people skills are improving. Grown-ups understand other people and they understand themselves. Using past experiences they are able to tap into and help themselves, as well others, deal with problems as they occur. Older people are especially good at solving relationship dilemmas. Older people know how relationships work and are better at sizing up people and situations.
Your priorities change as you start to appreciate that your time on earth is limited. None of us are going to live forever and understanding this changes how you look at everything. This awareness explains why older people are more interested in family history and family dynamics. They look for and seek out positive encounters rather than negative ones.
Older people are better at seeing the “big picture”. As you get older you are better able to take the measure of a situation. The mature brain is better able to take in the whole scene rather than focusing on just one detail.
You are always adding to your knowledge bank. There are some things like vocabulary or job skills that continue to accumulate, and as a result you get better and better at what you do.
You can control your emotions. Young people are constantly in a state of highs or lows while older adults are able to maintain an even flow. They have a higher degree of emotional control.
You become an instant expert. By drawing on past experiences you are able to respond to similar situations with a reference point. You generally know just what to do and that flows from a stockpile of experiences. The author suggests that this ability to draw from prior knowledge, and relate it to what is going on right now is the true definition of wisdom.
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