Do We Really Stop Learning After 60?
I usually agree wholeheartedly with the quotes that I share with the Sixty and Me community, but, today I came across one that I have mixed feelings about. The quote, by Marie Ebner-Eschenbach, is “In youth we learn, in age we understand.”
On one level, there is a lot of truth in this quote. It is undeniable that wisdom comes from the integration of knowledge. In our youth, we tend to sprint from one experience to the next, seldom stopping for long enough to smell the roses. Now, in our 60s, we have earned our battle scars and we tend to see context and subtlety more easily.
At the same time, the quote seems to imply that youth is a time for learning and old age a time for understanding. I’m not sure that this is accurate. Having spoken with 1000s of women in the Sixty and Me community, I know firsthand the wonderful things that you are doing with your lives. Many of you are returning to school. Other women in the community are exploring their passions and the world around them.
So, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that:
In youth we learn, in age, we learn to understand.
Of course, that wouldn’t look quite as good on a t-shirt!
What are your thoughts on this? Please join the conversation below and don’t forget to “like” and share this article to keep the conversation going!
Let’s start a conversation and get to know each other a little better. What are you passionate about learning, now that you are in your 60s or better? Are you learning a new skill, reading about a certain topic or starting a new career? Do you agree or disagree that youth is for learning and age is for understanding?
