Quick take: Yearn to learn
The importance of continuous learning
By Jim LaJoie
I was recently chatting with someone I know casually. This person is nearing 80 years of age and seemingly in good health and spirits, a spry octogenarian. At one point in our conversation this person said, in all seriousness, that they no longer wanted to learn anything knew. They seemed rather proud of that, as if already having acquired all the knowledge they would ever need.
This struck me as rather ill-advised. Any good advice on healthy aging includes continuous learning in order to better maintain brain health and memory. The brain, like your body, needs to be continually used and pushed to maintain its sharpness. This is especially true as we age.
A reluctance to learn as we age seems like an unspoken admission that we no longer are committed to being relevant, we are fine with the world passing us by.
I am certainly not saying that if you are, let’s say, 75-years-of-age that you try to master physics, although that would be admirable. Learning can take many forms, from a new hobby to a deep dive on a location you are planning on visiting. It is remaining curious, open to new concepts.
Me? I hope to be open to learning new things for as long as possible. I hope the day never comes when I say I no longer want to learn.
About the author: Jim LaJoie resides in North Carolina.
I agree!