Should we start looking into techniques for keeping the mind and body young? One measure would probably be how quickly you can learn new technologies and methods for getting work done. As I get older, I'm always trying to learn something new and coming up with ideas for solving problems. The last thing I want my employer to think is that I'm only good for maintaining the existing code. Another thing is how well you can relate to younger people and work with them. You can't afford to have them thinking of you as being out of touch with the current tech.
This would tend to confirm the "ageism" that Weiner is talking about. If a young body and mind is a good thing, an old body and mind is not.
I guess the "Ageist" position is that yes, human bodies and brains do decay, but experience and wisdom precisely mitigate this. It seems a little absurd.
I think the ageist position is that experience and wisdom aren't enough to counteract the brain's decline as one ages. So really this is an argument about two things: 1. The rate of cognitive decline and 2. the value of experience. The former varies with each individual and can be mitigated with proper nutrition and exercise. The latter varies depending on the task.
This is true but we're a lot closer to isolating the nutrients that support memory and delay aging. You can also play "brain games" to stimulate neural activity and develop better memory recall, even with people over 50.
There is a reality to aging, that's just something we can't escape. We can take measures to stay healthy and young in mind. Of course, experience and wisdom are good attributes to have too.
