Retirees - How do you stay Mentally Sharp?

[Meadbh]

At the moment I'm reading The Elephant and the Dragon, about the economies of India and China.

Walt, can we have a book report when you're done? This sounds like a book I would like to read. Thanks in advance.

 

[harley]

A couple shots of single malt and a couple hours of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I feel sharp as a tack!

 

[Leonidas]

Here is how one person -- a 33yo person, BTW -- stays mentally sharp:

A Self-Appointed Teacher Runs a One-Man 'Academy' on YouTube



"Yeah, sure," you say but just watch a couple and believe me your "mental sharpness" will be well on its way to fully "in tune."

I dig Khan - helped me tutor youngest son in Chem and Algebra II this year.

 

[Chester_A._Riley]

Staying sharp is very important. Consider: Retiree Bathtub Test

During a visit to my doctor, I asked him, "How do you determine whether or not a retiree should be put in an old age home?"

"Well," he said, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the retiree and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it is bigger than the spoon or the teacup."

"No" he said. "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"

 

[haha]

I think the younger generations are perhaps losing this battle before they begin it. Yesterday I was chatting with my Spanish instructor, who was annoyed that one of his students hadn't shown up for an appointment. He said too many of these young (university student age) kids seem to have ADHD. If they don't see it on a screen, it doesn't exist.

At the same time, I am finding my attempt to expand my Spanish knowledge and facility beyond where it has been to be challenging. Sometimes the words can just form salad in my head. I am trying to use techniques similar to those I use in learning dance. Keep the physical attached to the cognitive, rehearse mentally and rehearse physically. Then clear the mind of extraneous crap and dance or speak.

My accent is excellent; my knowledge base is a bit shakey.

Ha

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I....uh...uh,

 

[vicente solano]

At the same time, I am finding my attempt to expand my Spanish knowledge and facility beyond where it has been to be challenging. Sometimes the words can just form salad in my head. .[/COLOR]

My accent is excellent; my knowledge base is a bit shakey.

Ha

Haha: Need I remind you that we (I, for sure) are getting on in years?

In my case, re my English, for the last ten years , my learning curve has been a learning flat, soon to be a downhill one.....

 

[FreeAt30]

Besides all of the mental activities already mentioned, I think that exercise is very important - being physically active helps keep you mentally sharp.

Very, very important. I can’t explain why, but my mind works so much better when I keep my body healthy. However I do not let this fact keep me from participating in the occasional amateur (or immature ) eating competition among friends.

I stay sharp by constantly seeking the answer to the ultimate question: "Buy, hold, or sell".

Still have not figured that one out, so that quest should last me the rest of my life.

Agreed. I got to my FIRE by having a good enough answer to that ultimate question. The pursuit of improving the answer towards perfection necessitates that one stay sharp. I suppose it could be still be pursued hypothetically, but that probably wouldn’t keep someone as sharp because being wrong would be consequence free.

 

[Walt34]

Walt, can we have a book report when you're done? This sounds like a book I would like to read. Thanks in advance.

It's and interesting perspective on two large countries trying to play "catch-up" in modernization. The author's take is that China, although a communist country, has embraced capitalism and has poured billions into infrastructure (roads, airports, factories) to become the "factory to the world". Given the difficulty in finding stuff that isn't Made in China, they're succeeding.

India is seriously lacking in infrastructure, but excels in finance, business, and software development. Essentially, if the work can go out over a wire that's where they're focusing their efforts. Their infrastructure is still mostly third-world and the culture is a block to changing that.

Both have an upcoming middle class, China's expected to peak in about five years, India in about ten, based on the demographics, according to the author.

The book was a library book that I've since returned but Amazon has it: Amazon.com: The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What It…

Another interesting read is this one: Amazon.com: $20 Per Gallon: How the Inevitable Rise in the Price of Gasoline…

If that happens soon China's "factory to the world" plans will come to a screeching halt. And I think $20-a-gallon-gasoline is inevitable. The only question is when.

I've read more about finance in the last six months than in the last six years, since with the income from this job I started a while back the money keeps piling up and I've got to learn how to better manage/invest it.

Somehow we are just not tempted by all the "toys" on the store shelves. Looking at some big-screen TVs in a store we looked at each other and asked "Why would we want that? It won't make the programs any better."

 

[TromboneAl]

Sometimes the words can just form salad in my head.

This happens to me, but I know that it also happened to me, in exactly the same way, 30 years ago. So, nothing to worry about.

 

[HFWR]

This happens to me, but I know that it also happened to me, in exactly the same way, 30 years ago. So, nothing to worry about.
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As long as there's no "tossing of the salad"...

 

[FreeAt30]

As long as there's no "tossing of the salad"...

ROTF.

 

[Lotus]

Here is how one person -- a 33yo person, BTW -- stays mentally sharp:

A Self-Appointed Teacher Runs a One-Man 'Academy' on YouTube



"Yeah, sure," you say but just watch a couple and believe me your "mental sharpness" will be well on its way to fully "in tune."

Another reminder why this forum is the best. Just watched three "elementary" Chemistry videos that fascinated me. Thank you, Ron, for the recommendation.

 

[queeneev]

I stay sharp by accident, while doing the annual 1040...or updating the tax spreadsheet throughout the year to stay on top of estimates. Remember the first Mission Impossible movie where Tom Cruise had to twist his way across a room full of infra-red laser beam alarms and avoid touching any of them? That is what doing my return feels like. So yeah, it's a brain booster!