4 ms·

I know many people 3 times older than I am with much more flexible minds. I also don't think there is a biological basis for inflexible minds. Actually the sma

I know many people 3 times older than I am with much more flexible minds. I also don't think there is a biological basis for inflexible minds. Actually the smartest person and the most flexible mind I know is also the oldest man (87 y/o) I know. It's infeasible for younger people to have his outlook, that simply comes with his life experience.

rwmj 6y ago
Sure, so do I, but that doesn't change the general outlook. Just look at the boomers voting for the most regressive policies to entrench their wealth and privilege. It's not only about flexibility. When eventually Rupert Murdoch dies, his wealth and power will be split up amongst his children and the state. But if he lived on and on we'd be stuck with him forever.
- emteycz 6y ago
  Yeah, but is it because of their age or because of their psychology? My bet is on the latter. Minds are flexible - if they want to.
- elefanten 6y ago
  Your sweeping, ageist generalizations about one generation don’t lend any credibility to your assertions about ageless society.
TheNorthman 6y ago
Yes, I also ignore the basic science behind neuroplasticity. There is no doubt that the developing brain has a higher plasticity than the fully adult brain.
- beaconstudios 6y ago
  perhaps flexibility of thinking is not about neuroplasticity, but instead having many pools of thought and experience to draw from.
- badsectoracula 6y ago
  From what i understood by other articles posted here at the past, unless there is some actual brain issue, the practical difference is very small and it is largely a matter of self-imposed limitation (e.g. people stop learning or get set into their ideas because that is the path of least resistance, but if are placed in an environment that encourages or forces them to learn they can do that fine). Regardless, if we figure out how to live more and end up with brain zombies, we'll also have an incentive to figure out how to improve our brains. There is a lot of research into such topics too (see topics on research on Alzheimer's disease which are also posted here often).
ganeshkrishnan 6y ago
My neighbor is 89 and still works part time as orthodontist for children here in Toronto. When he was 6, his job was to run from one outpost to another delivering messages during World War 2. He volunteers weekends removing trash from the public parks and cleaning up our streets of litter. I am teaching him how to play professional chess and we had plans to go to professional tournaments (but covid hit so maybe next year) and he is picking up really well.
Malician 6y ago
Feels like this is a totally different topic. What if: Neuroplasticity allows you to build new base cognitive tools from sensory information, or dump/change existing tools. If you build sufficiently numerous, broad, and adaptive tools when you are young, you will be able to do many, many things when you are older. Still might have challenges learning new languages, or say to dance if you never learned how to dance at all, at the same rate as a toddler, tho.
- emteycz 6y ago
  Maybe compared to a toddler, but this person I am talking about became a programmer at 65 after being a physicist and then a biologist. I know more old people like that from the university. I really don't think age is so much of an issue that it should us stop from prolonging life. I really want these brilliant people to have more time on Earth. And I want more time too, even if I can't learn anything new at all past 125. Life is beautiful.

rwmj 6y ago

Sure, so do I, but that doesn't change the general outlook. Just look at the boomers voting for the most regressive policies to entrench their wealth and privilege. It's not only about flexibility. When eventually Rupert Murdoch dies, his wealth and power will be split up amongst his children and the state. But if he lived on and on we'd be stuck with him forever.

emteycz 6y ago
Yeah, but is it because of their age or because of their psychology? My bet is on the latter. Minds are flexible - if they want to.
elefanten 6y ago
Your sweeping, ageist generalizations about one generation don’t lend any credibility to your assertions about ageless society.

TheNorthman 6y ago

Yes, I also ignore the basic science behind neuroplasticity. There is no doubt that the developing brain has a higher plasticity than the fully adult brain.

beaconstudios 6y ago
perhaps flexibility of thinking is not about neuroplasticity, but instead having many pools of thought and experience to draw from.
badsectoracula 6y ago
From what i understood by other articles posted here at the past, unless there is some actual brain issue, the practical difference is very small and it is largely a matter of self-imposed limitation (e.g. people stop learning or get set into their ideas because that is the path of least resistance, but if are placed in an environment that encourages or forces them to learn they can do that fine). Regardless, if we figure out how to live more and end up with brain zombies, we'll also have an incentive to figure out how to improve our brains. There is a lot of research into such topics too (see topics on research on Alzheimer's disease which are also posted here often).

ganeshkrishnan 6y ago

My neighbor is 89 and still works part time as orthodontist for children here in Toronto. When he was 6, his job was to run from one outpost to another delivering messages during World War 2. He volunteers weekends removing trash from the public parks and cleaning up our streets of litter. I am teaching him how to play professional chess and we had plans to go to professional tournaments (but covid hit so maybe next year) and he is picking up really well.

Malician 6y ago

Feels like this is a totally different topic. What if: Neuroplasticity allows you to build new base cognitive tools from sensory information, or dump/change existing tools. If you build sufficiently numerous, broad, and adaptive tools when you are young, you will be able to do many, many things when you are older. Still might have challenges learning new languages, or say to dance if you never learned how to dance at all, at the same rate as a toddler, tho.

emteycz 6y ago
Maybe compared to a toddler, but this person I am talking about became a programmer at 65 after being a physicist and then a biologist. I know more old people like that from the university. I really don't think age is so much of an issue that it should us stop from prolonging life. I really want these brilliant people to have more time on Earth. And I want more time too, even if I can't learn anything new at all past 125. Life is beautiful.