Читать книгу The Pelman System of Mind and Memory Training - Lessons I to XII - Анон - Страница 11

5. Am I too old? This is a serious question which the after - forty reader addresses to himself and to us: occasionally we receive the question from a man of 35.

The answer a man generally gives to himself is “Yes, I am too old.” The answer we give is neither “Yes” nor “No.”

First, the age limit for mental efficiency depends on the individual. If a man has allowed his mind to run to seed up to the age of 50, there is little chance of his doing anything to improve himself in a manner that is unmistakeable. He may stop the mental dry rot that has set in—and this is in itself worth doing; but he could not expect to increase his mental acumen, although he could improve his memory to some extent. On the other hand, the man of 50 who has, by reading, by business, or in other ways, kept his intelligence active, has every reason to believe that he can increase his mental powers all round: indeed, the results or inquiry into this matter shew that many of the world’s great men have done their best work after the age of 50.

6. Before proceeding further, it may be interesting to inquire why men of 45-50 are almost invariably pessimistic about the development of their mental powers. It is partly because the physical powers have begun to decline, although it may be in minute degree, and this re-acts on the brain as the organ of the mind, causing a slight sense of repression; the physical basis of mind having reached its zenith, the tendency is to decline in vigour and consequently in mental power. In the case of a man with active intelligence, this tendency is hardly noticed, except in a normal desire to take things a little more easily. In any event, however, the tendency to relax effort should not be encouraged though it may be recognised.