Truth Revealed... "Old dog....new tricks?"
Written by Carlos Campos on August 4, 2020
“You can't teach an old dog new tricks…”
Have you ever wondered where that saying came from? Is it actually true? Chances are that saying is tied to Harvard psychologist William James, who in his 1890 book The Principles of Psychology, introduced the idea that one's personality becomes fixed in their late 20's.
In a 2015 article Deborah Ancona, a professor at MIT, says, "This is due to the fact that our brains start to solidify by age 25. When the brain is young there's a lot of flexibility and plasticity, which explains why kids learn so quickly".
Tara Swart, a senior lecturer at MIT writes “It turns out that we, as human beings, develop neural pathways, and the more we use those neural pathways over years and years and years, they become very stuck and deeply embedded, moving into deeper portions of the brain," in her book Neuroscience for Leadership.
So if I'm almost 30 is there hope for me? Can I still learn "new tricks or skills" and keep my brain agile?
According to Swart, if you want to keep your brain agile, you’re going to have to hone in on parts of the brain that you use less frequently.
This new task has to be so challenging that you’ll feel mentally and physically exhausted after practicing the task because you’re forcing your brain to work in ways it’s unaccustomed to. This is the only way you’ll actually grow new neurons strong enough to connect with existing neurons, forming the new pathways.
She recommends learning a new language or musical instrument. Or any “energy intensive” challenge that requires conscious processing of inputs, conscious decision making, complex problem solving, memorizing complex concepts, planning, strategizing, self-reflection, regulating our emotions and channeling energy from them, exercising self-control and willpower.
How long does it take me to create these new pathways? According Swart's book Neuroscience for Leadership she writes “Depending on the complexity of the activity, [experiments have required] four and a half months or 144 days for a new brain map, equal in complexity to an old one, to be created in the motor cortex.”
To have the energy to keep our brain flexible and “plastic” Ancona and Swart both agree that our physical health needs to be in good shape, especially since our brain sucks up such a massive amount of our body’s nutrients. The hydration, nutrients, and rest we need are even more important as our brain learns, unlearns, and relearns habit cycles.
One of the most important parts of our ability to create new neural pathways is our environment. This is greatly influenced by other people and our relationship with them.
The truth is the old dog will actually have a much better life if he continues learning new ,complex, and challenging tricks or skills.
Carlos & Chantel Campos
Carlos & Chantel Campos help people create and nurture successful intimate relationship connections. They are experts at helping people create connection opportunities using online methods and making things super simple to understand.
If you're interested in empowering your best identity, deeper intimate connections, or attracting your perfect soul mate, definitely reach out and request a free strategy consultation today.
FB Comments Will Be Here (placeholder)