Do Elderly People Have More Wisdom and Life Experience than Younger People?
Introduction
Intelligence of any sort has no correlation with age. There are many old people who were complete morons before dementia. I#39;ve seen men in their 50s with many fingers missing telling me they are master chainsaw operators. When I say oh ok then they yell hey!! Because they forgot to wear earmuffs masterfully.
The Common Belief
It's a common belief but not as straightforward as you might think. Yes, with age, people have been challenged by more things, which can help with better understanding complicated situations and human nature. Ergo, you build wisdom. No, not everyone is open to learning from their experiences. Some old people remain set in their ways, and they are unwilling to adapt to seek out additional knowledge as they age.
My take on the whole thing is that it depends, on whether older folks continue to engage with their surroundings and continue learning. Simply put, age does not guarantee wisdom or experience.
Lifetime Experience
Quite obviously, in my 93 years of travel and education, Irsquo;ve experienced much more than a person one-third my age. My children have experience twice as much as the youngsters. I do not contend that age wisdom or even that age for everyone experience, but certainly 'on average' the fact that time availability of experiences. Your question is formed in generalities, and generally, and on average, older folks have much greater opportunities than younger folks.
Life Experience and Wisdom
Elderly people definitely have more life experience than younger people. More years equal more time to experience life. Wisdom springs from the ability to analyze and learn from one's experience. That means you have to sit down with yourself and think about things. Some of us do that, and some of us don't. Young people who pursue wisdom will naturally develop more wisdom as they age.
The Dangers of Aging
As the brain ages, many but not all elderly people become more prone to forgetfulness. Diseases like Alzheimer's can destroy the mind and personality. Aging can be like a lottery: some win, and some lose.
Conclusion
Living longer alone does not equate to having more wisdom. However, the accumulated life experience does contribute significantly to the development of wisdom, as long as one remains open to learning and growing.
In summary, whether elderly people have more wisdom and life experience than younger people is highly dependent on individual factors such as the willingness to learn and adapt. On average, older folks often have a broader range of experiences, which can indeed contribute to greater wisdom and insight but not all of them do.