If you are older, I think the trick is to watch (or remember!) what younger people do and follow (or revert to) that behavior, as much as you can.
Comparing cognitive abilities between older and younger people fails to control for the inputs - behavior, experience, etc. Try the same inputs (using some big generalities):
* Exploration: Younger people love to explore, even just for exploration sake, and are also compelled to try things - and they also fail. Exploration is their mode, because so much of the world is new to them, because doing something new and innovative is socially admired, and especially because so many major changes happen - leave home, serious romantic relationships, first job, etc. A lot of that happens, ready or not.
* Learning: Similarly, younger people are compelled to learn lots of very challenging things, whether they want to or not; they are compelled to use cognitive skills that they are uncomfortable with. Their job is to learn, daily, for 12-16+ years. Remember school? Remember your early years at work when had little choice of what you did? Remember struggling with all those things?
* Playing: Young people love to play and are socially admired for playing better and more creatively.
What, you're past all that? Nobody is going to make you study things you're not interested in? Don't want to make any big changes? Dignity too big to play? Ego too big to explore and to fail? When you're older, you can say no and 99.99% (I think that's about accurate) take advantage of that and refuse to do or even talk about things they aren't already comfortable with. Does all this sound too hard? Then don't complain about losing those skills.
I think a big part of the problem is the same that affects CEOs - there is nobody to hold them to account.
Comparing cognitive abilities between older and younger people fails to control for the inputs - behavior, experience, etc. Try the same inputs (using some big generalities):
* Exploration: Younger people love to explore, even just for exploration sake, and are also compelled to try things - and they also fail. Exploration is their mode, because so much of the world is new to them, because doing something new and innovative is socially admired, and especially because so many major changes happen - leave home, serious romantic relationships, first job, etc. A lot of that happens, ready or not.
* Learning: Similarly, younger people are compelled to learn lots of very challenging things, whether they want to or not; they are compelled to use cognitive skills that they are uncomfortable with. Their job is to learn, daily, for 12-16+ years. Remember school? Remember your early years at work when had little choice of what you did? Remember struggling with all those things?
* Playing: Young people love to play and are socially admired for playing better and more creatively.
What, you're past all that? Nobody is going to make you study things you're not interested in? Don't want to make any big changes? Dignity too big to play? Ego too big to explore and to fail? When you're older, you can say no and 99.99% (I think that's about accurate) take advantage of that and refuse to do or even talk about things they aren't already comfortable with. Does all this sound too hard? Then don't complain about losing those skills.
I think a big part of the problem is the same that affects CEOs - there is nobody to hold them to account.