Dr Andrew Huberman, a world renowned neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University, was recently quoted on a podcast saying “Addiction is a gradual narrowing of the things that give one pleasure.” In contrast he went on to state that good living is a progressive expansion of the things that give one fulfillment.
Followers of The Longevity Path would be wise to follow this insight. It is all too common to observe increasing rigidity, cynicism and a reluctance to try new things in people as they age. Could this rigidity and inflexibility we see among many seniors be correlated with poor health and even premature death?
The data may soon confirm this. What does appear to be true based on the science is that progressively expanding one’s interests improves well being and the acquisition of new skills improves brain health.
When you learn a challenging new skill, your brain performance can be significantly improved. A study conducted by Dr. Denise Park, who is based at the University of Texas, investigated the effects of learning new skills on seniors. She randomly assigned 200 seniors to different activities such as quilting and digital photography.
Those seniors who learned new skills improved brain performance significantly (as measured by memory tests) compared to the control group.
In addition to the brain health benefits, learning new skills can create new social networking opportunities and friendships, which we know is a common denominator among Blue Zone populations.
