While the statement is accurate, as my grandmother always said, the devil’s in the details.
Reading the fine print, as we older adults were so often told to do, reveals that one kind of
intelligence does peak by the time we reach thirty, our fluid intelligence. One of the facets of
fluid intelligence is short-term memory, giving younger people (possibly) the ability to recall
information faster. However, crystallized intelligence– our accumulated database of facts,
knowledge, and experience-based understanding needed for successfully navigating our ever-
more complex world can only be gained by decades of living. These findings, shared by Dr.
Joshua K. Hartsthorne at Harvard University refuted what scientists and most folks believe(d),
with the common thinking being that only the young have sharp minds. I love how science
keeps giving older adults all the best cards 😉
Myth: Our Intelligence Peaks at Age Thirty
