MISTAKES MIGHT BE YOUR GREATEST ASSET!

Good Morning, Class. I see that everyone is present and over 60 years old. That’s good because today we are going to explore brain health… how to keep that precious piece of mush at the top of our head operating near full capacity until… well, until The End, if you know what I mean.

We’ve known for a while that one way to keep our brain and memory in tip top shape is to use it – doing crossword puzzles, Sudoku, taking night courses, learning a new language, etc. But it turns out it’s not nearly as important what you do with your brain as HOW you do it.

Let me explain.

Traditionally, it has been observed that older adults are more cautious and reflective when approaching something new. It makes sense because we bring a lot of resources to the table and can use some of them to figure out how to proceed. We want to avoid making mistakes along the way so we slow down and consider the task at hand. This is known as passive learning: picking through our brain’s filing cabinets, memorizing new stuff and only moving forward when we’re sure we’re on the right path.

The corollary was that younger adults are more active in their learning: taking risks, making mistakes, readjusting and figuring things out as they stumble through new tasks.

Scientists at the Baycrest Gerontology Centre in Toronto did a study where they discovered these two ideas should be reversed: that young people learn best through passive (I.e. memorizing) learning, and seniors learn best when they tackle something through trial and error.

It makes sense when you think about it. The young brain still has a vibrant memory and half-empty filing cabinets of information. Memorization comes easy. Recollection is a breeze. My own kid has a head-full of phone numbers (like I used to have) and can rattle off hockey statistics that completely baffle me. My niece can cite chapter and verse of tax legislation and arcane cases from corporate law rulings.

Our older brains need more help to learn and memorize. We have to find ways to remember the name of someone we see a couple of times a year. I have lists all over the place and post-it notes flying out of purses and pockets, reminding me of everything from people to call to errands to run. Memorizing becomes more difficult with age.

Andrée-Ann Cyr, the Baycrest study’s lead investigator says: “We found that learning information the hard way, by making errors, can actually be a good way for older adults to learn.” The idea is that when we make a mistake, we figure out why, correct it and therefore establish a “meaningful relationship” (their term, not mine) with the correct information. (And when was the last time you totally forgot a meaningful relationship?)

So what should we do and what should we stay away from if we want to keep our brains alive and kicking?

I think the bar exam is out, so give up those dreams of adding a law degree after you retire. Also history courses at the university where you have to recite dates and battles for the exam. Learning a language is good but your brain and you only profit when you actually use it in a conversation.

At the other end of the Don’t-Do spectrum, stay away from learning things via television or the internet. There’s no interaction there – it’s the ultimate in passive learning. Oh, you can do it, but try telling someone what you discovered a couple of days later. If you’re anything like me, half of it’s gone and what remains makes no sense at all.

You have to look elsewhere to keep the mind sharp: take a calculus or geometry class – any kind of math is great because it’s essentially all trial and error until you arrive at the right answer. Same for Sudoku and crossword puzzles – but stay away from the cheaters dictionary! Scribble in the margins, make up words, try daffy ideas… but figure it out on your own. Buy some of those logic puzzle books. If they don’t drive you crazy, your brain will love you for them.

Don’t like math? Take up knitting, sewing, or carpentry. These are all activities that require you to start, fail and then adjust as you learn. Even if the first few sweaters or bookcases end up in the basement, away from public view, your brain will feel like it’s had a good work-out.

There’s only one drawback I see to tackling some of these new adventures. In terms of social discourse, we might emerge as a little loopy. While the youngun’s discuss the latest news events they gleaned from the internet, we will be chatting about the finer points of knit & purl, dovetail corners and the Pythagorean theorem…. possibly in Swedish.

Janet Torge