Having An Older Brain Can Help You Acquire New Skills
They say the older you get, the more difficult it is to learn new things, but that’s not always the case.
You don’t often know of someone in their 30s — let alone in their 40s or older — who is learning to speak a new language or play the violin. When a 25-year-old tells you they’re acquiring a new skill — let’s say, coding using Lisp, which is one of the most difficult programming languages — you respond with “Oh, yeah, that’s cool.” On the other hand, when a 65-year-old tells you they’re learning to speak Portuguese to communicate with their son-in-law, you are both impressed and inspired.
Perhaps there is a diminishing need to acquire new skills as we age. Perhaps people become less interested in certain activities and subjects — new aspirations override old aspirations. And perhaps people become so comfortable with knowledge they’ve accumulated from past experiences that they are risk-averse to anything that would require them to step outside of their comfort zone.
I learned to drive a car at 29. Sure, I could have learned to drive when I turned 18, but would I have been as successful in passing the first time around, especially with teenage nerves and anxiety? Would I have been as calm or levelheaded as I was on my road test or taken it as seriously as I did a few months ago?
The Human Brain and Learning
When scientists speak about the functions of the human brain, research shows that the younger humans are, the easier it is to learn and retain new information. As we age, certain areas of the brain begin to shrink, and “communication between neurons (nerve cells) may not be as effective”; the ability to move, think and communicate may not be at the same swift pace as before.
This is why parents are encouraged to enroll their children in language classes before the age of 10. It’s also why preschool starts as young as age 3 — “From birth to age 5, a child’s brain develops more than at any other time in life,” and it soaks up information like a sponge.
Even though our brains age as we become older, it’s certainly not impossible to acquire new skills — this study found that participants aged 58 to 86 “increased their cognitive abilities to levels similar to those of middle-aged adults, 30 years younger, after just 1.5 months” of simultaneously taking three to five new classes within three months.
Why we must learn to adapt
Sometimes people choose to learn new skills to keep up with and enjoy the benefits of technological advances, such as flying drones and engaging with others on TikTok. My 91-year-old grandmother started using the iPad ten years ago, which she uses to stay in touch with her children and grandchildren around the world. And in case you’re wondering, no, she’s not on TikTok.
The upside of learning a new skill is far greater than any potential downside, no matter your age.
If Carl Benz invented the first gas engine car at the age of 41 in 1885, imagine how, by the early 1900s (when the first driving license was issued in the U.S.), other men and women of his generation felt about his game-changing invention. Did they respond with fear or courage? Did they say, “Oh no, not for me,” or did they say “Hell yeah!” to the societal changes that ensued — more freedom and access to jobs?
In all the cities I’ve lived in, driving a car was never a necessity. However, things have changed, and I plan to move to the suburbs to start a family, so learning to drive was a no-brainer for me. I had to learn to drive to adapt to a new life situation.
Advantages of learning at an older age
Research shows that there are several advantages to acquiring new skills as an older adult, such as better communication abilities, less likely to rush to judgment, increased visual-spatial abilities, and tuning out negativity. Furthermore, learning new things can create new meaning and purpose and make you happier.
I was ecstatic when I passed my road test at 29, despite my lifelong fears about driving. As an adult, I have self-discipline, and I’m able to stay focused and allow positive thoughts to replace negative ones. I will pass my road test. I will conquer my fears of driving. Those acquired skills helped me tremendously.
Now, you may be thinking, “What is she talking about? 29 is not old”. Well, you’re right. Age is just a number.
Earlier, I posed the questions asking if I would have been as successful in passing my driving test on the first try and had been as calm and levelheaded if I had learned to drive 11 years ago as a teenager. My answer is probably not.
There isn’t a secret to acquiring new skills when you’re older, and it sure doesn’t involve solving any crazy mathematical calculations.
Just continue on this path up — and as Confucius once said,
“It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you don’t stop.” -Confucius
