81–90 of 292 posts
Pierre Bourdieu would put into perspective notions of work/activity and retirement. So he was interviewing if I recall people from North Africa, some were used to western industrial work and others not. (He wasn’t aware of that yet) He asked them if they worked lately. Those who knew industrial work said no or partly and the others yes. He asked both groups what they did during their typical working days. The « no/pa…
Not only early retirement but any kind of retirement that gets the retiree in a mode that they don't have to try anymore will result in cognitive decline. I am seeing this in my dad who has been retired for ten years now. Throughout his work life he was a sharp hard working banker. Now he uses his age and retirement as an excuse for not trying. Just yesterday he wanted me to order something for him from Amazon. I tol…
I asked him how come he didn't know how to copy-paste. His response was - I am retired now and there's nobody to tell me or teach me. I can see the cognitive decline. Are you positive that for the 15 years he spent using a computer at work he just wasn't constantly asking younger people in the office to do stuff for him and never learned because computers are scary? I've seen it before from people who have been using…
This progression took about 12 years.
Sitting around May Speed Up Cognitive Decline. Both my Grandfathers retired shortly before seventy. One sat down in his Chair and did not get up. He ignored his health, and passed within 10 years. The other is highly active in his community and church, still gardens, and travels constantly. He is in his mid 80s with no sign of slowing down. Barring a major health incident, he will live well into his 90s like his moth…
One of my grandpas was an alcoholic, did not much more than sit around, drink beer, and go out to eat pizza and roasted chicken about once a week for the last couple of decades of his life. He lived until 100. The other had one of his lungs shot by tuberculosis, but despite that, smoked his entire life. Not particularly active either after retirement. He lived until his late 80s (EDIT: just checked, 85 actually). EDI…
Or, so I tell myself, as almost all of the men in my family have lived to be over 100 years old, so I have hope that I may do the same.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It doesnt, but it sometimes can be a big clue. What other factors can explain, that old people dont make so many breakthroughs? (If hes correct)
Lack of testosterone because they already have a mate. There is a lot of science to back this up. That getting married and/or having kids is what marks a man's decline in innovative output, because they no longer have to impress potential mates. But it's also correlative and not causative, and assumes most men make the breakthroughs, which has been traditionally true but almost certainly because of some other factor…
Testesterone decline begins at 30, regardless of the marital status. https://www.menshormonalhealth.com/normal-testosterone-level... This corroborates (in the correlational sense) my original statement.
To those who silently downvoted it: is it politically incorrect to talk about cognitive decline at any age in general, or only starting from a particular age? If 40 was too early, what is the allowed age? 65? 85?
My dad is a doctor in his 70s. He works 60 hour weeks (which he claims counts as retirement for doctors). He truly believes that true retirement is suicide. He wants to be found dead while doing rounds at the hospital.
A man once told me that he used to work very many hours, until one day when he came home and met his four year old daughter. The girl startled and ran to the kitchen: “Mummy! The man is here.”
Not only early retirement but any kind of retirement that gets the retiree in a mode that they don't have to try anymore will result in cognitive decline. I am seeing this in my dad who has been retired for ten years now. Throughout his work life he was a sharp hard working banker. Now he uses his age and retirement as an excuse for not trying. Just yesterday he wanted me to order something for him from Amazon. I tol…
I have noticed the same thing, but not from age, instead I attribute it to ux/ui. People used to know how to type a url into an address bar. If they didnt type it correctly it didnt work. They knew how to type an email address. Now for the life of people, its actually uncomfortable to type example.com without a space into an address bar and go directly to a site and not to google. They purposely put a space between t…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
There's no doubt that people decline cognitively in their old age. I don't think this study's saying that all cognitive decline is due to retirement. People get old and their bodies and brains deteriorate. To my mind the question is whether the rate of decline can be reduced by keeping mentally active.
People's cognitive decline statistically starts as early as 40. You can see that from the age distribution of biggest discoveries in physics and mathematics. You can also see that from the HR policies of the software companies.
Since most software development isn't anywhere near nobel or turing-class difficulty, age discrimination policies in hiring and firing make more sense in the context of other factors such as a desire for cheaper workers, trying to avoid retraining costs, and a desire for workers with minimal family or outside commitments (and no interest in work-life balance) as well as fewer health issues.
Sitting around May Speed Up Cognitive Decline. Both my Grandfathers retired shortly before seventy. One sat down in his Chair and did not get up. He ignored his health, and passed within 10 years. The other is highly active in his community and church, still gardens, and travels constantly. He is in his mid 80s with no sign of slowing down. Barring a major health incident, he will live well into his 90s like his moth…
> One sat down .... The other is highly active I've noticed this kind of thing as well, but I'm really worried that we have cause and effect backwards. The one who sat and did nothing did that because of poor health, rather than poor health because he sat.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lack of testosterone because they already have a mate. There is a lot of science to back this up. That getting married and/or having kids is what marks a man's decline in innovative output, because they no longer have to impress potential mates. But it's also correlative and not causative, and assumes most men make the breakthroughs, which has been traditionally true but almost certainly because of some other factor…
> Lack of testosterone because they already have a mate. Testesterone decline begins at 30, regardless of the marital status. https://www.menshormonalhealth.com/normal-testosterone-level... This corroborates (in the correlational sense) my original statement. To those who silently downvoted it: is it politically incorrect to talk about cognitive decline at any age in general, or only starting from a particular age? I…
Not surprising. I took a couple of years out to raise my kids, and I am having a hard time feeling as intelligent and proactive as I did before the break.
However, 10 years or so ago I suffered from major burnout, and my brainpower has yet to fully recover.