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Changes in the brain from adolescence to 20s

Mole

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Mar 20, 2008
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Moral Courage and Absurdity

One other strange thing I've read and noticed is that in certain disciplines(such as science, music, sports), alot of people peak in their mid twenties, like for musicians off the top of my head - Michael Jackson age 24 when he made Thriller, Brian Wilson was 24 when he made Pet Sounds, The Beatles were all in the mid twenties when they made Sgt. Pepper, Kurt Cobian was 24 when Smells Like Teen Spirit came out. It is also said that hockey players come into their own, hit their peak at age 24/25, also most of the theoretical physicist were in their mid twenties when they made their major breakthroughs(Albert Einstien published the special theory of relativity at 26 for example).

Yes, we start off without control, even of our sphincter. And at first our parents modulate even our emotions, but as we mature we gain more and more control, reaching the peak of our personal control at about 22.

Of course, through the last 200,000 years almost all of us didn't last beyond 26, so we needed to get everything in, particularly reproduction in these early years. And we can see that today. Most reproduce before 26. And most produce their best work before 26, especially mathematicians, sports men and women, physicists and composers.

However we are now living beyond 26 to 86. So if we spend the next 40 years honing our control, we become absurd.

However, having struggled for 22 years to gain control, we are understandably reluctant to give it up. And indeed our parents and ourselves are justifiably proud of our achievement.

But if we are to avoid the absurdity of repetition, we need to let go of control.

This is counter intuitive and leaves us vulnerable. So no wonder so many choose to grow old and absurd.

But of course spontaneity, creativity and presence require that we let go control and be vulnerable to ourselves and others.

So growing old successfully is not for the faint hearted. In fact it requires a rare virtue - moral courage. The only alternative is absurdity.
 
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