Older Really Is Wiser

 

 

Psalm 92:12–14; Proverbs 16:31; 20:29; Titus 2:1–3

Research has confirmed what students of the Bible already knew.

A study conducted by the University of Michigan psychology department found that older people seem to know how to deal with conflicts and accept life’s uncertainties better than younger people.

 The results indicate the difference is not so much determined by how many facts a person knows, but is instead related to what could be termed “social wisdom.” People aged 60 or older are generally more likely than those aged 25–40 or 41–59 to try to find ways to handle conflict, to see multiple points of view, to be more interested in compromise, and to be willing to acknowledge there might be things about a difficult situation they don’t know.

 Professor Richard Nisbett, who led the project, said, “I hope our results will encourage people to assume that older people may have something to contribute for thinking about social problems.” By the way, Professor Nisbett is 68 years old.

—Jim L. Wilson & et al