Last week, at my friend Amanda’s dinner party, I met her 93-year-old mother, who started her education after the age of 40, went on to get her master’s and then her doctorate degree at the age of 91. And she hasn’t stopped. She continues to take online classes and keeps herself busy volunteering in the local prison. Her motivation is an ongoing curiosity and her continued desire to learn and experience new things.
One of the most widely held ageist beliefs is that after a certain age, we are no longer able to learn new things. It’s the “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” belief that, once internalized, limits us in many ways from reaching our potential in our careers and leading a fulfilling life. It’s also one of the top ageist assumptions that prevents organizations from hiring and investing in their older employees. But it’s simply not true!
Actually, new research published in Developmental Review suggests that cognitive differences between the old and young are tapering off over time. This is hugely important as stereotypes about the intelligence of people in their sixties or older may be holding them back – in the workplace and beyond.
Read the full article on Crunchy Tales.com
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