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> think learning a musical instrument, not crosswords Could you go into more detail on this distinction?
by eternauta3k 3y ago
> think learning a musical instrument, not crosswords
Could you go into more detail on this distinction?
- empressplay 3y agoI think the assumption here is that one would be continually learning new material. While crosswords help with exercising pattern recognition and recall, you're not generally learning anything 'new' (except the occasional word, and this diminishes over time). Sight-reading random piano sheets, for example, would exercise most if not all of your faculties
- sdwr 3y agoLearning a musical instrument is: - embodied - self-directed - open-ended and includes things like playing in a band, performing for others Doing crossword puzzles is: - all in the brain - exclusively solitary - closed-off (just looking for the right answer) Not an expert, but I think you are more likely to escape dementia if you balance physical, mental, and social activities, as well as do things that are opened-ended (let some light in!)
- wolfram74 3y agoI'm not gonna argue that crosswords are primarily cognitive and don't have any muscle memory component, but my parents do the crossword together and their curiosity tends to make the try to understand the puns and jokes that usually make up the clues when they've only gotten a word to fit and not necessarily make sense.
- ted_bunny 3y agoA proper crossword is a great exercise for lateral thinking. I'm not aware of others that make my brain feel as flexible.
- esperent 3y agoMy understanding is that it's about building complex neural networks that your brain can use as a backup when others fail (although that's probably a massive oversimplification). Crosswords are too simple, they only teach you how to get better at crosswords. Learning an instrument is a whole lifestyle - you need to combine aural, verbal, proprioception, social, and so on.