Do people get smarter as they age?

[MORGATH99]

no, we get slower , dumber and sentimental

[Zyster]

I wouldn't necessarily say you become smarter, but you comprehend and process information better. This can be used to comprehend and processes wrong info better. There is also a sense of entitlement with age, and it isn't isn't always bad thing. The say those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, hence comes the entitlement. This is obviously all just my opinion and nothing to support any of it.

[Unholyground]

Only if you are willing to learn and adapt.

[oxymoronic]

Over the years, I've heard quite a few people use their age as an argument in support of their claims. "I am twice as old as you, I know better!", "You have very little experience; live 20 years more, and then you will get it", etc. I've never seen it as a valid reasoning. Here is my theory on how people's minds develop as they age.

During childhood/teens people form their vision on how the world around them works. That vision naturally comes with strong confirmation biases. As people live more and more, those confirmation biases convince them in that their vision of the world is right. As such, they do not really get smarter or more knowledgeable; they, instead, become less open-minded to the points of view that disagree with theirs, less objective, less fair. Sure, they might become more skilled in their profession or certain life areas - but overall they do not become smarter. As such, their opinion isn't any better than an opinion of a young person.

Do you agree with it? Do you think the young should always listen to the old due to the experience and knowledge of the latter, or that they should give the priority of their own ideas, even if they are not backed by years of experience and observation?

only a young person could think some stupid things like this. you'll understand in 10-15yrs im sure.

[draganid]

i work with a guy whos 60 and a total idiot so maybe depends on the person. some particularly good nuggets of wisdom ive gotten from him include drinking water is bad for you because it flushes you out and that buying property is stupid because thats just more for the government to take from you

[oxymoronic]

i work with a guy whos 60 and a total idiot so maybe depends on the person. some particularly good nuggets of wisdom ive gotten from him include drinking water is bad for you because it flushes you out and that buying property is stupid because thats just more for the government to take from you

no fair... most people are idiots at 15, 30, 40, 50, 60 till the day they die. doesnt change the fact you become smarter as you age.

[Vash The Stampede]

Depends on the person. Some old people refuse to learn how to operate a TV, and some old people make those TVs. Einstein was said to have a brain of a teenager when he died.

[Dsc]

Wiser, I don't think smarter.

I don't think I could pull the IQ test score I took at 22 now at 41. (regrettably killed a few braincells along the way)

But looking back I was a dumbshit at 22 compared to now, I'll probably say the same at 55 or 65 God willing.

[endersblade]

If this forum is anything to go by, I'd say it's the exact opposite.

[Socialhealer]

We're born brilliant babies who literally don't know our ass from our elbow. Seriously, babies are all fucking geniuses - they teach themselves a whole new language, with virtually no translation (from baby-tongue), and how the world works, in a matter of a couple years.

probably because human babies are pretty much the weakest new born of any species? physically they are so weak and defenceless, they take the longest time to get mobile and walk as well, so it's not surprising they're learning the fastest their body is useless.

[Mongo42]

Teenagers have elevated hormone levels that cause their bodies to continue to develop into biological adulthood. Those same hormones affect their reasoning ability. "Raging hormones" isn't just a phrase. And I find it amusing how people accept "roid rage" as a real thing while claiming that teenagers with elevated hormone levels are unaffected.

Male teens also tend to be more physically resilient, faster to recover from injury, and more likely to go looking for a fight than adult males. This is why we send them off to war but don't want to let them vote.

[glo]

probably because human babies are pretty much the weakest new born of any species? physically they are so weak and defenceless, they take the longest time to get mobile and walk as well, so it's not surprising they're learning the fastest their body is useless.

This is not how it works, at all.

[Hooked]

I would say as people age they are less distracted and more focused.

[Felicia]

I just turned 28... and while I don't feel like I'm any smarter. I definitely feel a bit wiser. I understand A LOT of things my parents warned me about now, but it's a shame I didn't listen when it mattered. But I definitely took the lessons to heart, and I've felt like I've grown in the long run. I never make the same mistake twice.

I don't think it makes someone more intelligent, just more world wary.

[Hooked]

They are more experienced, naturally. But slow thinkers will remain slow and getting older doesn't fix that.

Exactly right, you tapped into a gas line though because the term slow thinkers is not a politically correct statement.

[Macaquerie]

Just speaking from personal experience, as you get older you definitely can look back and think about countless situations where you made stupid mistakes and really should have known better, but at the same time you do also notice that you can't pick up on things or learn new tasks as easily as you could before. As far as I can tell, the point at which you start forgetting faster than you learn new stuff is a lot earlier than we all suspect.

[Deleted]

Nope. They get filled with information that's all.

[Raphtheone]

Do people get smarter as they age? Yes, absolutely.
Do they become more intelligent? Maybe. Barely.

I firmly believe that our biological makeup decides the ceiling of our capacity for intelligence, while our upbringing and experiences dictate how close to that ceiling we are. It's a nature vs nurture thing so each to their own. But being smart isn't the same as being intelligent, or vice versa. There's a reason why there are different types of smarts, book smart, street smart, etc.

Smart = Intelligence + Knowledge

Many times, if not pretty much always, someone says "You're so smart!" what they mean is "You're so knowledgeable!". Knowledge is gathered over time, as it has its root in experience.

Knowledge = Experience - Preconceptions

Having the natural inclination to fill in gaps where our knowledge lack, we have to have something to stuff it in with. And we do it with our presumptions and preconceptions, both based on the own experience and knowledge. It makes as much sense to do this as filling holes in a white wall with red filler/spackle, as they don't really go that well together, and is one of the contributing factors to the overwhelming "human stupidity". But we do it nevertheless, it's part of who and what we are but conversely is probably a contributing factor to our success as a species.

Educated guess = Knowledge + Presumptions

Knowledge and preconceptions alike grow with the years we live, and if you let the former beat the latter, you get smarter.

At least that's how I'd describe it. Copyright etc.

[Deleted]

Smart as in very good at learning or thinking about things? Case to case basis but you cant teach old dog new tricks most of the time. Smart as in showing intelligence or good judgment? Pretty much yes. Someone who's exposed to this plane of existance for twice or thrice as much time as you has probably saw all paradigms, pendulum swings, agendas, cycles, human behaviours. Thus such person knows far better how people work and why is it they do what they do.

[mittacc]

Being smart and knowledgable are two different things. For example, I can calculate the impulse from a rocket engine while it lands as a no brainer if you just give me the mass of the craft and velocity once the engine is toggled. Does this make me smart or knowledgable? Could be either/both depending of what I already know. All you need to solve that is a single formula and the absolute basics in vector algebra(not really the algebra either since it's a linear motion). Impulse is the integrated force with respect to time aka int(F)dt or simply the difference in momentum aka mass x velocity. See how easy it was?