The adage “older and wiser” is actually true. We become more adept at problem-solving and are more emotionally stable, according to a study. A new study published in the journal Scientific American has confirmed what older people have known for generations – far from becoming slow, mushy thinkers as we age, our mature brains mean we have more to offer than at any earlier time in our lives.
“The brief about older people is that they’re all kind of the same; that they’re doddering, and that ageing is this steady downwards slope,” says Laura Carstensen, founding director of the Stanford Centre on Longevity. “That view is a great misunderstanding.” And while there’s no doubt that some senior citizens slow down in executive function – with a number of them showing signs of confusion or dementia towards the end of their lives – an encouraging proportion do not.
Some even experience the opposite. “Of the individuals we followed, with an average age of 77, the three-quarters who did not show dementia showed little to no cognitive decline,” says John Rowe, a professor of health policy and ageing at Columbia University. “We have found very clearly that things improve with age.
The ability to resolve conflicts strengthens, for example. Ageing is also associated with more positive emotional wellbeing and emotional stability.”.
