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Prolonged adolescence, in the right circumstances, is actually a good thing, for it fosters novelty-seeking and the acquisition of new skills. My first thought
by themartorana 12y ago
Prolonged adolescence, in the right circumstances, is actually a good thing, for it fosters novelty-seeking and the acquisition of new skills.
My first thought was "how sad that the march to adulthood is associated with the loss of imagination and experimentation."
But then I think of the sciences in general, and that I chose software engineering specifically because of the constant learning, changing, curiosity and intrigue it comes with.
The take-away to me is that we don't push nearly hard enough the importance of continued curiosity and the pursuit of new skills and knowledge. Apparently, it really does help you stay young.
- Bahamut 12y agoConstant learning does not necessarily mean that your mind doesn't become more set in other respects. For example, problems in software engineering are of a particular type - however, known strategies now may turn out to not be as optimal, and there are potential cues one can take from other domains of knowledge. We are less likely to explore those domains as we get older.
- Chinjut 12y agoIs software engineering really a discipline uniquely filled with constant learning, changing, etc.? I imagine many jobs have an element of this. Software engineers keep learning new things about software engineering as the discipline evolves. Civil engineers keep learning new things about civil engineering as the discipline evolves. And so on... ...but the constant learning, changing, etc., is only tied to the demands of that particular job. Whereas in adolescence, not tied to any particular job as a set identity (and with free time on a level no longer available once one must take up a full-time job), one may frequently be exploring whole new topics of interest, developing breadth and not just depth.