I just saw a 9 year old dog learn to roll over for the first time. “You can’t teach old dog new tricks” simply isn’t true. Unless, of course, it’s code for, “Owners of old dogs have lost the desire to teach new tricks and therefore their old dogs don’t really have a chance to learn anything new.”
In other words, we often blame an individual (eg old dogs) instead of looking critically at environment (eg owners and owner’s training techniques).
What about continuing to learn and grow as adults? Do we really have an inherent disability to being stretched, gaining new insights, challenging old beliefs, and expanding our worldview? Or, are there environmental variables that we are unwilling to identify further justifying never changing.
Age has almost no bearing on cognitive plasticity, habit formation, and learning. Another way to say it is this: Our brains (and bodies) are forever young. (Thank you, Bob Dylan.)
Don't blame your age.
You’re missing proper instruction.
You’re missing inspiration.
You’re missing enchantment.
