Is learning reserved solely for the young? Think back to a time when uninhabited by any fear of failure or embarrassment you threw yourself into a new activity – most likely your memory will take you back to childhood. In adulthood we rarely put ourselves in situations where we are beginners, much I fear to the detriment of our own happiness. The senses and smells of a new city, the first bite of new food bursting with flavour, the first beats of a new song, all make our sensory superpowers come alive elevating us to a happy state. The term ‘adult beginner’ is shrouded in gentle pity, it implies the learning of something that you perhaps should have learned a long time ago. So why not just stick to what we are already good at?
Recently I have found myself increasingly shying away from my children when they are playing chess, busying myself with mundane tasks to avoid being asked to play. The reality is, despite my record speed at binge-watching The Queens Gambit - I am too embarrassed to admit to them that I actually do not know how to play chess. Sure, I recall learning a few basics as a child and I am abashed to admit that I only know who Bobby Fischer is because in one of the RHOBH reunions Kyle Richards says of her friendship with Lisa Vanderpump, “Being in a friendship with you (Lisa Vanderpump) is like playing chess with Bobby Fischer.”. On a recent visit to a bookshop I took a quick detour to the chess section and was overwhelmed with the selection of books about the game, with no luck finding ‘Chess For Dummies’, I promptly walked out. But this got me thinking about the adult brain. Why do we automatically assume that learning a new skill has to be beneficial to us solely for the purpose of our careers? We pay for an infinite amount of extracurricular activities for our children, as we are aware that skill learning is additive, it’s not only about the skill but the benefits beyond the class itself. Yet we are reluctant to apply the same theory to ourselves. Claude Shannon – the father of our digital world, was renowned for his love of hobbies, ranging from unicycling to juggling, and never afraid to ask questions.
Researchers have found that novelty causes a plethora of brain systems to become activated, and foremost among these is dopamine – the happy hormone. Beyond the sensation of joy, scientists have found that tickling the brain results in an improvement of overall cognitive functions. Learning new skills changes our overall perspective of the world. Learning to sing or dance changes the way you listen to music, art classes are tutorials on the human visual system, woodwork classes are crash courses in physics, and surfing or sailing lessons are an amalgamation of tide and wind studies. Your world grows because you enlarge your sense of self.
With this in mind, I have chosen to remedy my smartphone addiction by spending a few hours each week starting at 64 squares and working through the possibility of an infinite number of moves!
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