Great pointers, but are there any specifics you could share on 'brain functions that improve with age'? You seem to be saying there aren't any, by omission...
My non-factual opinion is that "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few." means that an older person will get to the solution faster... unless it requires a complete reappraisal. So it's wise to become expert in things that change slowly: human nature, language, law, mathematics. Of course, there's nothing stopping an older person from becoming a beginner.
So, is it age or is it expertise? While there definitely are age effects, I think they are often overstated - as that study on the effect weight training for post menopausal women on bone density showed: elderly people aren't inactive because they're frail; they're frail because they are inactive. (to dramatise the point).
My non-factual opinion is that "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few." means that an older person will get to the solution faster... unless it requires a complete reappraisal. So it's wise to become expert in things that change slowly: human nature, language, law, mathematics. Of course, there's nothing stopping an older person from becoming a beginner.
So, is it age or is it expertise? While there definitely are age effects, I think they are often overstated - as that study on the effect weight training for post menopausal women on bone density showed: elderly people aren't inactive because they're frail; they're frail because they are inactive. (to dramatise the point).