Gray hair has benefits. As we pass middle-age, life’s frustrations bother us less. This is due to improved emotional regulation in both sexes and, especially in men, a decline in testosterone. Reduced impulsivity leads to better choices and is one reason that most people are happier as they pass middle age. One might even call this gaining wisdom.
The neuroscience of wisdom is still not fully understood, but enough insights have accumulated that can help anyone accelerate becoming wise.
While we are inundated with data, more data does not necessarily improve decisions. Better decisions require that data is transformed into information. Many of us are data-rich but information-poor. Google searchers and generative AI queries take data and create information. But, personalization of search results and AI assistants often means you get what you expect, filtered for your interests, rather than the most reliable information. Information must be critically analyzed. Fake news, anyone?
Critical thinking is difficult because it requires a substantial cognitive investment. When we are busy, stressed, or preoccupied the brain devotes metabolic resources to immediate needs which makes critical thinking less likely. There is a wonderful book titled Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why by Laurence Gonzalez about people in mortal danger and the inflection point at which a single decision causes them to live or die. Rule one is: stop and think. Slowing down decisions allows the brain to integrate new information into one’s memory of experiences creating context that improves outcomes.
As we age, the stresses of jobs, finding a mate, and raising a family ease, freeing up neural bandwidth that improves the ability to integrate new information into one’s existing knowledge base. But, you don’t need to do this for every experience you have. In many situations, accepting information as-is rather than questioning its veracity and usefulness works just fine. Google Maps will tell you when to take a right turn to get on the highway. But, if one does not regularly practice critical thinking, this skill depreciates and people just do what they are told. That’s how using Google Maps has caused people to drive into lakes and get lost in deserts.
The second reason many people avoid critical thinking, especially when others are around, is that to be critical one has to disagree with the status quo. As highly social creatures, humans have learned how important it is to get along with others. Disagreeing during a conversation may lead people to think one has a disagreeable personality. We avoid those with disagreeable personalities–they are generally unpleasant to be around. Of course, one can disagree with information without being disagreeable, but this takes finesse. We get better at this as we gain the experience of age. But, even without others around us, just being critical can make us feel uncomfortable: who do you think you are to disagree with this information!
When people are critical thinkers and contextualize experiences, they transform information into knowledge. If they are able to take one more step, they can improve their ability to thrive.
Wisdom is knowledge that is made actionable. “Actionable” means that knowledge is applied and outcomes are observed. These outcomes are generally binary, that is, the decision either turned out to be good or bad. This is learning by doing.
The accumulation of applied knowledge over time builds a library that creates wisdom. It takes years to acquire this library, hence the value of gray hair. Making better decisions using wisdom increases satisfaction with life as people get into their sixth decade and beyond.
For those without gray hair, knowledge can be gained through education that teaches that unnatural skill of critical thinking and then puts decisions into practice. Young people are increasingly coding apps, creating artistic experiences, and pitching for venture capital. All these activities provide rapid feedback that build knowledge libraries that evolve into wisdom.
Thriving is doing, and the more we do, the faster we obtain wisdom. So, celebrate the wisdom you have gained and apply this to extend your playspan–the length of time you get to play the game of life.
-Paul
Paul J. Zak, PhD, is University Professor at Claremont Graduate University, co-founder of Immersion Neuroscience and author of Immersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and the Source of Happiness and The Little Book of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Living Better.