| Enjoy Learning in Your Retirement |
| Articles - Retirement |
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"There are three ingredients in the good life : learning, earning, and yearning."
"There are three ingredients in the good life : learning, earning, and yearning." Christopher Morley 1890 - 1957 Parnassus on Wheels  In my case, the earnings and the yearnings are both definitely down since my retirement - and in many ways this is a great relief to me ! I try my best to keep mentally active and alert, and this has meant steep learning curves for me in a number of areas. This article, for example, is distributed by a high tech computer system on the internet - something I could never have contemplated a few years ago. So you certainly CAN teach an old dog new tricks ! And these days I am but one old codger among many others. Mortimer J Adler (1902 - 2001), the prominent American philosopher and educator said: "The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live." Research studies on the elderly have shown that at age eighty, a person's learning capabilities are the same as they were at age twelve. Their language learning capability is often better, in fact, since the neural cells responsible for higher order linguistic processes such as understanding semantic relationships and grammatical sensitivity develop with age. Naturally, any health problems with for example hearing, cognition or sight, or any one of a number of other chronic diseases, can affect a person's learning capabilities. Possibly the most prevalent barriers to learning in the aged are psychological, however: "I'm too old to learn" "I've learned enough" We've all heard such excuses. It is a pity that such people do not understand the real joy which can be obtained through learning, not to mention the social aspects of learning with others. Lots of elderly people welcome the opportunity of some further education or training, even though it is not undertaken necessarily with an eye on the job market, and are having to familiarize themselves with technological advances such as the internet or eMail. In this way, e-learning is becoming both accessible and affordable for older people, and this is fine providing sufficient care is exercised in the choice of on-line providers of training or education. There are many villains out there ! If you haven't thought about it, the choice of subject to study can be an issue. Years of hard work, raising families and so on take their toll on people, leaving them with little time to devote to themselves, and no particular interests which can be pursued in retirement. Here are a few options chosen at random by me: Music appreciation, and musicology in general Ditto Art Ditto History, local and general Ditto Ancient History and /or Archaeology Ditto Literature Studies, especially recreational studies, do not necessarily have to be pursued to bachelor degree standard or higher. In most instances, the acquisition of knowledge for its own sake is a more than adequate reward, and the benefits are endless in ways not at first apparent. The brain is a muscle, which requires exercise - the more so, the older you get. Henry Ford once said :  "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice. Peter Shaw is a writer with a deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of those who are newly retired, retrenched or unemployed. Catch up with Peter here: Instant articles and books for the retired And go here for a bit of fun: A fun page for the retired ! |