Does age go hand-in-hand with useful experience ?

Question

Hi folks,
I understand they thoughts of my children, neices & nephew.
But although being freindly,I do not understand some of the convoluted stuff I hear from my elders.

I am approaching 52, and would like to think that I can now draw upon decades of life experience in many departments.
Social, technical, artistic, etc.

Some folks are as bright as the proverbial button at 90, some fade into meaningless chatter.
Perhaps they were always like that.

This is directed at all ages, as many a teenager has a grasp, as do the most elderly.

So am I correct in thinking it may be a genetic/attitude/up-bringing/talent/educational type thing in general ?

Bob

Answer 1

In theory, skill should improve with age and practice. But that is not necessarily the case.
As a former police traffic officer I have often spoken to people who are convinced that they are good drivers because of their number of years experience. All too often it means that, having passed their test, they learnt nothing further, and the experience really consisted of the length of time that they had been doing things wrong.

Answer 2

Hi Bob

I think we all claim to know more than anyone else regardless of our age.

At 16 as we walk away from school and we think we know it all but 2 years later at 18 we're already looking down on 'the kids' as though they know nothing about the real world.
It happens again at 21, 25, 30, etc but at every step we become less aware of how younger people think and feel.

Younger people look on most older people as slow, uncool, old fashioned, stuck in their ways so there is no optium age to be all thigs to all people.

The saving grace in all this is that generally speaking we are becoming more healthy, people are living longer and the 50 year old of today is not the 50yr old of 20 years ago.

At 42 i think i still have a connection with younger people, my wife is 30, my children are 8 and 10 but now have an understanding of my older family, their worries about the future, etc.

With age comes experience but it doesn't always bring wisdom.

Answer 3

Age does add to life experiences, which give us a great deal of knowledge to draw on. But many young people are old beyond their years. They are tuned in to situations and events that you would not expect. Nobody lives in anybody elses shoes.Therefore can not state or have any idea of knowing their lifes capacity of knowledge and life experiences.It is possible to be young and wise,or older but not wiser. Genetics can come into this,but so can personality, intelligence,life experience as well as an interest in learning.

Answer 4

As a person gets older (and more mature hopefully) then their experience and usefullnes to the American job market does increase, until a certain point. You must find your niche in society and a 52 year old is at a disadvantage over a 25 year old in some situations.

Answer 5

Age does not reflect intelligence or the ability of having any common sense. People mature at different rates; some never mature much at all. As for the causes of this -- who knows? It's very likely that they've learned through their lives to only have a narrow view of reality, and they refuse to expand beyond it due to emotional insecurity. Of course, then again, some people are just plain stupid.

Answer 6

i don't think age is really a factor in wisdom...it's more about personality and life experience. I mean, a person living in a box for 90 years isn't going to be the wisest social sbuject. but a 15 year old who has grown up observing people will be...0.o? does that make sense?

Answer 7

I don't think age always determines a persons usefulness. Take the kids that went through the Katrina stuff or 911, they will have experience in grief, sorrow, patience, and values of lost goods vs. family. those are useful experiences that will be helpful to all generations.

I think what age does bring out in us is knowing how to communicate the value of the experience in which time or age seems to bring forth.

We are all valuable at any age with our experiences to all of us human kind. Problem is we can't, don't or won't communicate them...

Answer 8

Life experience and the will to learn. I will keep on learning until the day I die. My husband doesn't want to learn so he gets other people to sort things out for him. It is a case of you just do it I don't want to know. He never reads instructions even. Thicko. Always will be

Answer 9

This is a random thing, some people retain knowledge more than others, some get dementia, some dont. I doubt if there is a known link genetic or otherwise.

Answer 10

Not necessarily.Among seniors, you will find few intelligent and wise and a large number of those who have stopped growing mentally after their fifties.