
The Aging Advantage - agarden
http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/the-aging-advantage
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jrapdx3
Not nearly as aged as Ms. Beskind, still I'm glad to read that getting old
isn't always a barrier to creativity and contribution. I like the idea that
retirement doesn't have to be permanent, one can start again, make use of
skills not necessarily diminished with time.

Among the people I've met over the years, most impressive have been those who
discovered talents in late life not having known about it before. In her mid-
sixties, one woman on a whim took a one-afternoon watercolor painting class,
finding that she had a real flair for it. Within a few months was selling
paintings, and became a well-known watercolorist in the region.

Perhaps we tend to associate success in technological fields with younger
individuals, but the article suggests otherwise, that the elderly don't
necessarily lose their "edge". Research does suggest that as we age memory and
thinking work differently. Perhaps not as quick to respond, but still just as
capable of learning given the time to do so.

Benefits of experience are hard to quantify, indeed, experiential learning is
distinct from associative learning. The latter is important in school for
example, but the ability to predict outcomes in complex situations is a
function of experience vs. "book learning".

As we continue to learn and grow in our 60's and beyond, it's a good thing
some of the movers and shakers appreciate what we have to offer.

