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I'm in my late twenties and increasingly worry about things like this. I sometimes wonder if my best "thinking days" are already behind me. Business sense and

I'm in my late twenties and increasingly worry about things like this. I sometimes wonder if my best "thinking days" are already behind me. Business sense and practicality (i.e. "wisdom") still seem to be increasing with time, yet I can't shake the feeling that understanding highly complex or novel topics is going to become vastly more difficult over the next few decades. For instance, if I wanted to learn homotopy type theory, would this have been easier five years ago, or will it be easier five years from now? It's well known that the number of neural synapses in the human brain decreases by almost an order of magnitude over a lifetime. I can accept that my body will degrade physically, but psychologically, I have a hard time stomaching the idea that my mental faculties are likely to erode as well. Hopefully exercise and eating well are enough to at least delay this as long as possible.

StavrosK 8y ago
What does it matter? Do your best and that's all you can do, worrying about it isn't actionable.
- kiba 8y ago
  What we can do is exercise, which is the best medicine ever. The other best medicine ever is getting enough sleep. Then the other last thing we can do is contribute money toward anti-aging research. Otherwise, all we can do is wait as our body deteriorate.
  - kranner 8y ago
    After sleep and exercise, there are other medicines like eating the right food (at the right time of day) and meditation (again to be experimented with) which I've found help a lot.
- opan 8y ago
  I think it can help to at least plan your life. You may not need your best thinking days to start a family or work an average job, but if you want to invent something or research something new, it's probably best to do it in your youth.
  - 5partan 8y ago
    A typical Gen Z life plan: 6:00pm Create lifelong masterplan for history changing invention 6:01pm Screw it, let’s play Fortnite
ergothus 8y ago
I'm in my early forties, and I've been having the same worries you list the whole time. And the answer (for me, so far) is....it's complicated. I definitely think I have a harder time processing new ideas. OTOH, I have a lot more context to connect them to, so I feel like I end up with a better understanding when I DO get them. I also have a wider perspective to decide WHAT I want to spend my precious time learning. When I do learn something, I'm less likely to think it's the answer to everything, while I'm still able to get excited and enjoy how much easier this makes many of my tasks. And it's really hard for me to say how much is REALLY having a harder time grasping new ideas, and how much is a mix of (1) that additional context, which makes it harder/longer before I feel the sense that I truly "get" it (2) the overwhelming sense of how many things I DON'T know that makes it feel like "I'm not learning like I used to". Docker has been on my list to learn for ~4 years, even though I've used it indirectly for most of that time, for example, but it's not that I haven't been learning new concepts in that time - I've just not been able to find free time where Docker has been on the top of my list. Kubernetes shows up on HN, and I've not done more than googled the general idea. Are these omissions because I don't have the capability to learn as well, or because I've got a very full schedule and mental web of connections to fit them into? No way to be sure - I don't know of any way to quantify them. I try to make sure that I end each week being able to say I learned something new, and while those bits are often small, they are also often significant in my day-to-day. Also, don't discount the impacts of physical decay on the psychological. Being unable to sit comfortably for long stretches, the wear and tear of a million tiny aches - they may as much to blame for psychological limitations from age as any direct neurological degradation.
- dahkkerr 8y ago
  Docker has been on my list to learn for ~4 years Docker doesn't do anything shell scripts and zip files couldn't accomplish. The only thing Docker does is distinguish a class of human oriented activities, such that everyone is talking about the same goals, and explaining ideas about the same conceptual objects, at the same time, across all platforms (Windows, Linux, Apple, BSD, AWS, VMware, Vbox), disciplines and job roles. The DBA, the front-end JS developer, the sysadmin, the API developer, the SRE, the product team, the project managers, the tier one support and CRM call center, all of them are talking about the thing that standardizes virtual servers. It's not that docker is particularly useful or special, but more to the point, different people are talking about doing the same thing the same way, and hopefully in 50 lines or less, because pressing the power button on a working computer, and plugging in the network cable needs to be made that simple, so that people can stop tripping over themselves about that least important of pizza topping conversations.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
ridgeguy 8y ago
> if I wanted to learn homotopy type theory, would this have been easier five years ago, or will it be easier five years from now? My experience (I'm late 60s) suggests you may find it harder later, but you'll have a higher return because your newly-won expertise will connect with a richer experience base. You'll see connections you might have missed earlier. And I doubt you'll notice much difference in five years. More like 15 - 20, I think.
tonetheman 8y ago
Different people will have different comments on this post I think. I think I am just as sharp as I ever was. I am in my early 50s. I do not however think I am as fast as I used to be. I can feel that. My understanding and abilities are solid as ever but I can see younger guys grokking things faster than me. I also require way more sleep than I used to need. The good thing though is that I have seen a LOT of things in my career in computers/programming/devops/engineering/math. So new things are just variations on things I have already seen over the years.
mapcars 8y ago
>sometimes wonder if my best "thinking days" are already behind me. Maybe if your best thinking days are behind you have best living days in front of you :)
sonnyblarney 8y ago
With ago also comes different perspectives. Yes, learning is important, but your scope of vision, so to speak, may be broader and more nuanced. You may not quite value the ability to learn some hyper-specific niche thing quite as much.
sfifs 8y ago
Nearing forty and feel (and am told) I'm doing the best work of my career. I think the same of my boss who's in his fiftys. One of the keys has been developing deep expertise in complex subject(s) I like and keeping up with the cutting edge. Also finding a career that lets you do this.
5partan 8y ago
Does it really matter? If you really want to learn something just go for it, for me the problem does not lie in the difficulty but to remain persistent as with age you start to question the point of your chosen interests too.
devilshaircut 8y ago
I am in my mid thirties and would say I definitely do not think I am as sharp now as I was as a teenager. That said, I am overall much happier now. For me, mental agility has proven less important to me than a number of things. Example: I have been hit by motorists a few times (I am a cyclist.) and my left knee has really taken a beating as a result. Keeping it in good shape so that I can continue to run and bike is much more important to me than, for example, being able to quickly memorize or learn something. As I see it, mere speed at assimilating information is a luxury whereas physical mobility is a necessity for having a life worth living. Conversely, certain things have gotten better with age: my financial wellbeing and emotional maturity both come to mind. Although I try not to worry about the inevitable and live in the now, I am personally more concerned about the point in my life where my body will entirely preclude certain activities.

StavrosK 8y ago

What does it matter? Do your best and that's all you can do, worrying about it isn't actionable.

kiba 8y ago
What we can do is exercise, which is the best medicine ever. The other best medicine ever is getting enough sleep. Then the other last thing we can do is contribute money toward anti-aging research. Otherwise, all we can do is wait as our body deteriorate.
- kranner 8y ago
  After sleep and exercise, there are other medicines like eating the right food (at the right time of day) and meditation (again to be experimented with) which I've found help a lot.
opan 8y ago
I think it can help to at least plan your life. You may not need your best thinking days to start a family or work an average job, but if you want to invent something or research something new, it's probably best to do it in your youth.
- 5partan 8y ago
  A typical Gen Z life plan: 6:00pm Create lifelong masterplan for history changing invention 6:01pm Screw it, let’s play Fortnite

ergothus 8y ago

I'm in my early forties, and I've been having the same worries you list the whole time. And the answer (for me, so far) is....it's complicated. I definitely think I have a harder time processing new ideas. OTOH, I have a lot more context to connect them to, so I feel like I end up with a better understanding when I DO get them. I also have a wider perspective to decide WHAT I want to spend my precious time learning. When I do learn something, I'm less likely to think it's the answer to everything, while I'm still able to get excited and enjoy how much easier this makes many of my tasks. And it's really hard for me to say how much is REALLY having a harder time grasping new ideas, and how much is a mix of (1) that additional context, which makes it harder/longer before I feel the sense that I truly "get" it (2) the overwhelming sense of how many things I DON'T know that makes it feel like "I'm not learning like I used to". Docker has been on my list to learn for ~4 years, even though I've used it indirectly for most of that time, for example, but it's not that I haven't been learning new concepts in that time - I've just not been able to find free time where Docker has been on the top of my list. Kubernetes shows up on HN, and I've not done more than googled the general idea. Are these omissions because I don't have the capability to learn as well, or because I've got a very full schedule and mental web of connections to fit them into? No way to be sure - I don't know of any way to quantify them. I try to make sure that I end each week being able to say I learned something new, and while those bits are often small, they are also often significant in my day-to-day. Also, don't discount the impacts of physical decay on the psychological. Being unable to sit comfortably for long stretches, the wear and tear of a million tiny aches - they may as much to blame for psychological limitations from age as any direct neurological degradation.

dahkkerr 8y ago
Docker has been on my list to learn for ~4 years Docker doesn't do anything shell scripts and zip files couldn't accomplish. The only thing Docker does is distinguish a class of human oriented activities, such that everyone is talking about the same goals, and explaining ideas about the same conceptual objects, at the same time, across all platforms (Windows, Linux, Apple, BSD, AWS, VMware, Vbox), disciplines and job roles. The DBA, the front-end JS developer, the sysadmin, the API developer, the SRE, the product team, the project managers, the tier one support and CRM call center, all of them are talking about the thing that standardizes virtual servers. It's not that docker is particularly useful or special, but more to the point, different people are talking about doing the same thing the same way, and hopefully in 50 lines or less, because pressing the power button on a working computer, and plugging in the network cable needs to be made that simple, so that people can stop tripping over themselves about that least important of pizza topping conversations.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

ridgeguy 8y ago

> if I wanted to learn homotopy type theory, would this have been easier five years ago, or will it be easier five years from now? My experience (I'm late 60s) suggests you may find it harder later, but you'll have a higher return because your newly-won expertise will connect with a richer experience base. You'll see connections you might have missed earlier. And I doubt you'll notice much difference in five years. More like 15 - 20, I think.

tonetheman 8y ago

Different people will have different comments on this post I think. I think I am just as sharp as I ever was. I am in my early 50s. I do not however think I am as fast as I used to be. I can feel that. My understanding and abilities are solid as ever but I can see younger guys grokking things faster than me. I also require way more sleep than I used to need. The good thing though is that I have seen a LOT of things in my career in computers/programming/devops/engineering/math. So new things are just variations on things I have already seen over the years.

mapcars 8y ago

>sometimes wonder if my best "thinking days" are already behind me. Maybe if your best thinking days are behind you have best living days in front of you :)

sonnyblarney 8y ago

With ago also comes different perspectives. Yes, learning is important, but your scope of vision, so to speak, may be broader and more nuanced. You may not quite value the ability to learn some hyper-specific niche thing quite as much.

sfifs 8y ago

Nearing forty and feel (and am told) I'm doing the best work of my career. I think the same of my boss who's in his fiftys. One of the keys has been developing deep expertise in complex subject(s) I like and keeping up with the cutting edge. Also finding a career that lets you do this.

5partan 8y ago

Does it really matter? If you really want to learn something just go for it, for me the problem does not lie in the difficulty but to remain persistent as with age you start to question the point of your chosen interests too.

devilshaircut 8y ago

I am in my mid thirties and would say I definitely do not think I am as sharp now as I was as a teenager. That said, I am overall much happier now. For me, mental agility has proven less important to me than a number of things. Example: I have been hit by motorists a few times (I am a cyclist.) and my left knee has really taken a beating as a result. Keeping it in good shape so that I can continue to run and bike is much more important to me than, for example, being able to quickly memorize or learn something. As I see it, mere speed at assimilating information is a luxury whereas physical mobility is a necessity for having a life worth living. Conversely, certain things have gotten better with age: my financial wellbeing and emotional maturity both come to mind. Although I try not to worry about the inevitable and live in the now, I am personally more concerned about the point in my life where my body will entirely preclude certain activities.