• just_kitten@aussie.zone
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    3 months ago

    I’m coming to a very sobering realisation that my mind really isn’t as capable as it was five years ago, it’s taking a lot more effort to understand academic journal articles and new concepts than it used to. I spend so much energy on maintenance tasks and quelling anxiety, that there isn’t much left for novel/challenging thinking outside of a conversational context

    • Bottom_racer@aussie.zone
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      3 months ago

      understand academic journal articles

      I’m not reading the room quite correctly but I just forgot why I went to the fridge… twice… so I believe in you :)

      • just_kitten@aussie.zone
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        3 months ago

        I don’t have a banging social life or much physical capacity, so I’d always relied on my brains as something to be proud of but even that’s going downhill too :(

        I’d accept it if I was more capable of ripping out 10 metre long retaining walls and growing bushels of vegetables …at this stage in life I feel like I’ve dumbed myself down to a pencil pushing automaton. I guess I can still change that just that it’ll take more effort than imagined.

    • Seagoon_@aussie.zoneOP
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      3 months ago

      of course it’s harder to learn new things as we get older but it’s not from any lack of ability or stamina

      At an older age humans have a vast bank of knowledge and complex world views that explain and unify all the knowledge.

      Each new piece of knowledge had to be tested for correctness and whether it fits in the world view. The world view is also tested to see if it is still the best explanation for all the knowledge acquired. The more knowledge and more complex the world view the more testing.

      It can be tiring.

      • just_kitten@aussie.zone
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        3 months ago

        I thought some life admin would become less taxing with experience and age, but I find that they seem to take on more of a mental load and not just from the post viral fatigue.