I think being a protester in school from elementary through college can have a negative impact on a person's working life when they need to go out into the world and actually make a living. I hired and supervised many young people over the years and I can tell you from my experience with a large company that getting employees to work on time, wearing a company uniform correctly, keeping their company cars clean, cleaning up after themselves in the bathroom, treating customers with respect, and following instructions is a real problem in the workplace.
The idea that protesting and sending a statement by being goofy is somehow a right of passage and a guaranteed right is just silly. Our schools should be real concerned about helping young people create a positive mindset, formulate a strong work ethic, and develop career goals. We need more hard working and productive Americans not more Protesters.
As we get older, there is a tendency to reduce our socialization. I think this is due to health problems and the fact that friends and family pass on to their eternal home. Also, retiring from work can disengage us from an active social life. On the other hand, older people should not continue working 60 hour work weeks under the stress of a demanding job. Burnout from long term high stress jobs can reek havoc on the body and destroy the immune system. Everyone, including older people, should guard their health and try to maintain a healthy social calendar throughout life.
- Do not isolate or segregate as you get older. People who isolate have a higher risk for dementia.
- Join groups and social organizations in your community.
- Maintain and build your friendship and family network.
- Be forgiving.
- Develop hobbies.
- Do not retire.
Who is this guy?
1949 Desoto
There seems to be a relationship between active brain stimulation, like using our brain to do more complex and active thinking, and a healthy brain. Passive brain stimulation, like watching talk shows and other mind numbing TV programs, does not help keep the brain actively engaged. The following is from Dr. Nussbaum.
Mental stimulation
- Learn a second language.
- Read and write (use your nondominant hand) on a daily basis: the more complex the better.
- Learn sign language, as it increases IQ and increased IQ reduces the risk of dementia.
- Play board games, as board game-playing reduces the risk of dementia.
- Travel reduces the risk of dementia because it involves a new and complex environment.
- Play a musical instrument.
- Listen to classic music, as it helps to increase learning.
- Problem solve.
Keeping the brain active is essential in maintaining a healthy brain. It seems that the more we do and experiment with life's many wonders, the more we are able to do. For me, this means always looking for ways to write on different subjects and being active in my contacts daily. The following if from Dr Nussbaum.
New ideas about your brain
- The human brain (like the animal brain) can generate new brain cells. This new brain cell development (neurogenesis) occurs in the hippocampus.
- The human brain is now thought to have "neural plasticity" or be a system that is highly dynamic, constantly reorganizing and malleable. It is shaped by environmental input.
- Our brains need exposure to environments that are enriched, complex and novel. Environments that are passive and rote do not help the health of your brain.
- Exposure to enriched environments across your lifespan will lead to new brain cell development and increased cellular connections ("synaptic density"). Synaptic density or brain reserve may help to delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and related dementias.
- Brain health begins in the womb and needs to be promoted across your lifespan.
- Engage in the novel and complex not the rote and passive.
