on the brigther side: does anyone feel like they are getting smarter with age?

[suffering]

Not only more knowledgeable, but smarter. With every year that passes, I feel smarter. And I'm not young anymore, I'm doing downhill physically speaking. But my mind always gets sharper, I understand things better, even technical stuff, like I developed a better intuition. I don't think I've noticed this is other people, they usually plateaued after early/mid twenties or so. I frequently get surprised by my own thinking, things that previously seemed very hard or impossible, are now accessible. A few reasons that I can come up with:
1. Just late bloomer, I developed slowly.
2. Not being young anymore means my sexual side has weakened, therefore my judgement is not clouded anymore by emotions, high subjectivity, needs, etc.
3. I just healed childhood trauma. I was a constantly nagged as a child, so maybe my full potential lay hidden under a layer of self doubt. Now that I've healed, I can think straight.
3. Just better diet, clearing up my brain fog, for instance: no more sugar.

Anyone feel the same?

 

[ThriveOrDie]

Sugar definitely gives me bad brain fog

 

[Midnight]

Getting older and smarter hasn't made my view of the world/society/humanity any better that's for sure. The more you know the worse it get's.

Ignorance is bliss.

 

[Shamana]

No, I'm getting dumber by the day. I used to be really smart. I can barely write and email or post now within making spelling errors.

 

[Ko9]

I feel like I am a piece of shit that is not self aware and has been kicked out of high school. No I do not feel smarter every year. Maybe that is something that comes later.

 

[Mr2005]

I know way more now than I did then it just doesn't do me much good

 

[_NoName_]

I definitely gain self-awareness as goes move on. However even at the height of my age I can look mere 2 years (or even 2 months to some extent) back and think nothing but "cringe". That's how ashamed I am of myself and my past behaviours.

 

[suffering]

I definitely gain self-awareness as goes move on. However even at the height of my age I can look mere 2 years (or even 2 months to some extent) back and think nothing but "cringe". That's how ashamed I am of myself and my past behaviours.

I do the same, I cringe hard when I look back 1-2 years.

 

[GinaIsReady]

I actually do feel I am getting smarter as I get older and more experienced but it also seems to tire me out faster nowadays.

 

[Empty Smile]

Smarter with age? I'm 49... If I was smart, I'd have already ctb.

 

[262653]

Just more knowledgeable. I'd compare intellect and knowledge to velocity and distance. One allows you to grasp complex ideas and concepts, learn things, reach conclusions and solve problems faster (more efficient neuron passways/connectivity/whatever) than your dull-witted kindred. The other one would be even more straightforward and represents the distance traveled. The older people might get too far and become unable to return, rigid and stubborn, conservative, strangers in their own house, so to speak.

 

[GinaIsReady]

Smarter with age? I'm 49... If I was smart, I'd have already ctb.

Are you still planning to ctb on Aug 17th?

 

[kkatt]

To be honest, I'm pretty certain all the drug use has quite seriously damaged my brain.
However, despite my difficulty in learning anything useful from my many mistakes, it's impossible to deny there is some wisdom to be found in experience.

 

[HGL91]

Been on antidepressants and mood stabilizers since I was 11. I'm now almost 28. I feel like I've gotten gradually stupider. I'll probably have dementia by the time I'm 32.

 

[blanketyblk]

I wish, i feel like I've losing more knowledge than i learn each year.

 

[burnedCookie]

smarter I don't know, but I definitely have more knowledge, it's just that I no longer have the energy or the inclination to use it
everything exhaust me, even thinking

 

[CareOfCell44]

I definitely feel smarter, but sometimes it does nothing but help read writings on the wall that were previously unintelligible.

Ignorance is bliss until they take your bliss away -TCV

 

[Thanatos]

I think I peaked at 16 then got into drugs. I still believe I'm somewhat intelligent just maybe not super knowledgeable

 

[Soul]

I guess it depends what you mean by "smarter". My mind isn't any quicker, but I'm a lot more self-aware, a lot less judgemental and more willing to put the effort into understanding other people. That all feels more useful than the ultra-reliable memory I used to have.

 

[irrelevant_string]

I do the same, I cringe hard when I look back 1-2 years.

There's tons of cringe worthy material in as little as few months old memories in my case. It's about time to start repressing them.
As for getting smarter, I'm not sure if I am.
I do feel like that when I think about my younger self, but I'd rather attribute that to having more information and more connections between what used to be unconnected data, which is perhaps better described as being wiser, rather than smarter.
Though I'm not sure what these words mean exactly, intelligence is often associated with the speed of making connections somehow and I imagine that that also improves with experience.
Maybe take another derivative and add acceleration to what @Burzolog said. I don't have a word for it though.

 

[Oblivion Lover]

Actually I'm getting stupidier every day. I was called a "genius" as a kid, and at some point I started declining so much that teachers were frustrated with trying to help me learn anything new, and that wasn't because I wasn't interested on learning, it was just because I couldn't no matter how much effort. If I were an old man, I'd be suspecting of some neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer. My memory and cognitive skills are becoming so bad that it is scary. I really don't want to be here to find out what's going to happen next.