Science shows you get dumber in your 30s. It's a good thing for successful leaders

Do you think you're smart?

When it comes to intelligence, our education system's obsession with classifying us between the haves - the naturally bright, talented, gifted - and the have-nots has spawned generations of adults who continue to align their self-views with these probably incorrect and definitely obsolete categories.

Also, for those whom psychologists refer to as entity theorists (who tend to believe that intelligence is a fixed entity – that basically what you already have is what you get ), life is even more difficult.

Fearing that they aren't - and won't be - up to the task, they end up not looking for that promotion or that potential romantic partner, and even have a low opinion of them. attractiveness and their health.

If this is happening near you, you are not alone.

Fortunately, the idea of ​​a monolithic intelligence peddled in schools is incomplete. Wherever you feel like you belong on the intelligence scale, you can always crack the code to a fulfilling and purposeful life. How?

Focusing on a time-sensitive development of what psychologist Raymond Cattell calls our fluid intelligence versus our crystallized intelligence.

Fluid intelligence is probably what you already think intelligence is. It's your ability to solve problems at a glance. It's your mental speed and dexterity in new and unfamiliar situations. It's about thinking abstractly and learning new skills. It's young and fast.

And it peaks in your thirties.

With this decline comes the rise of Crystallized Intelligence. It is your ability to connect the dots, notice patterns, and synthesize unrelated information and experiences into coherent knowledge. It might not sound as sexy as fluid intelligence, but it feeds off of it, and it turns out that's what fills you in later, as many of us start moving into leadership positions. higher.

So how can you use this information to organize a meaningful life and grow as a leader?

Step 1. Collect

Do this at first, while you still have your raw wits. Think of it this way: fluid intelligence is about gathering information.

Pick up an instrument, learn to code, read novels in another language and talk to strangers. Sky is the limit. Your brain and memory are primed to internalize and store new stimuli, and mental function is sharpened after engaging your cognitive and motor skills in a new action. And it is because of this bodily preparation that you feel a sense of satisfaction as you venture into the unknown.

By the way, you don't even have to be particularly good at anything. You will continue to reap the benefits of the aftermath of each initiative for the rest of your life.

Step 2. Synthesize

Wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge, experience and good judgment. Sound familiar?

It's crystallized intelligence. Here is where you