Is this true? I am in deep trouble if it is.

Post Reply New Topic

I have been a litttle curious about development recently and I have read that the capacity to learn will never be greater than during adolescence.

I would like to know how your experience has been with this

Perhaps it's true, but it doesn't stop anyone older from adding to their education. I earned my second master's degree in my late 30s and my Ph. D. at 45.

What I might have lacked in the capacity to learn, I made up for it by drawing on what I remembered from my previous experiences at the various places I worked at.

Not for me, my capacity to learn increased during early adulthood. Come to think of it, it was a bit higher during childhood as well. No offence to adolescents such as yourself but it seems like the adolescent brain just doesn't work very efficiently.

There are studies to back this up but they were done on NTs, not aspies so I'm not sure how it would differ. It seems cruel that they expect adolescents to make decisions that will impact the rest of their life when they're brain won't have finished devolving 'till they're about 25.

I've continued learning all my life; it is only now at the age of 54 that I'm finding it harder to remember new things, but that is largely due to my short term memory going and that is likely related to my diabetes.

I agree with this. Adolesence is an insane time filled with false perceptions, peer pressure and wilful defiance. It wasn't until I was in my mid twenties that I started to get a grip.

I think it's not so much a question of ability to learn as what you choose to learn. I spent a lot of time studying English because it was the only thing I was any good at and I didn't believe in myself enough to try anything else. After a few years in the School of Hard Knocks, I got past that and became a lot more independent. I recently built my own PC which is something I would never have thought possible ten years ago.

I do not agree, either.

I am going back to school now after having had received my BA 15 years ago, and I feel my mind exploding with all that I am learning. Life does not allow me to take a full course load, but I would have no problem with it if I was not a wife and mom and had a part time job.

I think it more a matter of exercising your brain. Muscles atrophy when not used and get stronger when used. The brain is the same. It might be difficult getting back into the swing of serious studies if one is out of practice, just like little-used muscles hurt when they are introduced to a work-out regiment. But, the feeling subsides and the capacity for work increases.

I actually think it is between ages 0-5. Your brain is like a sponge setting up new connections, absorbing really basic important information. You never stop learning though.

I would've hated that stuff if I hadn't been too thick to be aware of it. At the time I was more anxious about how I was failing school. I had this nutty idea that school was a place to learn when really it was a hierarchical social club. You don't actually learn anything 'till you get to college.

People never lose the capacity to learn

Just like there might be a "sexual peak"--but I find it's irrelevant. You're at your "peak" if you're turned on by your partner.

You're at your "learning peak" if you're motivated to educate yourself on the material presented.

Motivation is useful. That could be an argument against mandatory schooling. They won't learn if you force them to go but they'll learn if they go voluntarily.

Young children have the most adaptable and flexible brains, and can usually learn a lot, quickly, but tend to have a short attention span, which limits how much of any one thing we can learn at a time. At that age we also don't really want to be forced to sit and study, so that also limits how much we learn when young. Once we hit puberty, we still have a great capacity for learning, but the hormone imbalances of this age range interfere with the learning process, and we still can't stand to sit and study. We are also struggling to master social skills and dealing with sometimes ruthless peer pressure. All of this also interferes with the learning process, sometimes well into the twenties. Once we are adults, our minds may not be quite as good at learning as a child's, but we have some life experience to couple with any new learning experiences. Also, as adults, when we study something, we do so either from a sincere personal interest in the topic, or from a chance to profit by the learning, such as a better job/career. Both a sincere interest, and a chance to gain from it, means that adults are more motivated when we study up on something. I believe that this far outweighs the fact that our minds are not as good at learning as a child's. All the capacity for learning in the world is useless without motivation behind it. The only real motivation to learn that kids have, is that they will be punished if they don't keep up with their studies. That's not the same as wanting to do it.

I was a lousy student, and will never be a brilliant genius, but as an adult, I do enjoy learning things of interest to me, and will continue to do so, whenever I want. Besides, there is no law against continuing to learn once you are an adult. There are many elderly people who have gone to college to get degrees late in life. Bravo to them! And to all who continue to learn as adults!