Source
: Google
photo of a thinking man
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Synopsis: Old age does not mean that a person loses his mental acuity. It remains intact in many people but they do deserve to be recognized, loved and cared for.
As we age, we notice that we lose some of our mental acuity in the process of ageing. We forget what day it is, what time of the day it is or whether or not we took our prescribed medicine for the day. We forget the names of people we had known in the past or the dates of important events in our life.
This happens to most people if not all that is a natural
process that makes people lose their mental acuity that is supposed to keep our
brain sharp all the time. While it affects most people, there are many old
people who retain this acuity until they die so how do they do it?
Some old people have done their best work at an age when
others start babbling like children because they never lost their mental
acuity. Their brain remain as sharp as the edge of a razor blade. They
instantly recall scientific details of the papers they had written and
published long ago. They remember complicated mathematical formulae or complex
details of chemistry. They put forth new scientific ideas at an age when they
are supposed to be old and senile but they prove that they are far from senile.
Leo Tolstoy wrote War and Peace at an age when most old
people cannot think beyond their present medical needs or the morning cup of
tea. Pablo Picasso made his masterpieces of painting that sold for millions
when he was very old not to mention a virile old man. Once he was having dinner
with his friends in a restaurant where he was served a delicious fish that he
ate with relish and kept the fish bones intact and clean so his friends wondered
what he will do with it. He then got some molding clay that he pasted on the
side of his plate and made a deep impression of the fish bones on it.His artistic mind had no limits to its imaginative power. His mental acuity was at its peak even then that made him create a piece of art just with his fish bones.
Some of the greatest scientists, artists, writers, film
makers, philosophers, teachers, sculptors, violin makers, performing artists,
singers, mathematicians and others did their best work when they were old
because they reached their pinnacle using all the knowledge they had acquired
in their life time and put it to create their masterpieces.
The loss of mental acuity is a process where the brain
gradually starts to lose the ability to remember with the age in most people
that leads to forgetfulness. Most governments have a mandatory age of
retirement of 65 in most countries because they think that such people are no
longer able to fulfill their duties or obligations in the most efficient way so
they recruit young people to replace them. But many old people after their
retirement do remain alert and are able to function well so now the Japanese
companies value them and their life long experience so their employment is
extended.
Similarly many retired medical doctors remain very good
doctors and treat their patients with their rich experience of a life time as
doctor and are known for their excellent diagnostic skills that can only come
from experience. Compare them with young doctors who have no diagnostic skills
so they search in google the remedies for illnesses or say that they have no
knowledge of the disease of their patients so order numerous laboratory tests
to find out what is wrong.
One doctor in the United States refused the medicine to his
patient who had malaria and told his doctor that it is quinine that he needed
to get well but his doctor did not know what malaria was and did not believe
that his patient knew better than him. The result was tragic when the patient
died of a curable disease just because the doctor was ignorant but self-righteous.I would call such doctors idiots.
The degeneration of the mental process that turns a human
being into a vegetable state starts when the neurons in the brain do not
connect to other neurons anymore or fail to make new connections but it is
proven that such decline can be stopped or slowed down if the person keeps
alert and uses his brain to read, absorb, analyze and draw conclusions from it
that are valid. I can understand that some old people cannot read as much
because of their poor eyesight but now there are computer programs that can
read for you in any language.
Now using the computer anyone can connect with his
colleagues, friends or associates anywhere in the world to exchange ideas or
discuss issues that are important to them. There are very senior doctors who
can see on line a surgery being performed on a patient in another part of the
world and notice if the procedure is correct or not and give valuable advice to
save the life of a patient such is the power of the technology now.
But millions of people who are over 70 and retired have no access to fancy computer technology or smart phones because of poverty. Many old people have never learned to type so one can understand their difficulties in using a keyboard or in understanding how a computer works. So how can they retain their mental acuity? They may have difficulty in reading due to their poor eye sights. So some people play chess or do crossword puzzles. Others who can still read depend on reading the scriptures that give them mental peace.
Source : Google photo of Stephen Hawking who was severely disabled but was brilliant
A severely physically disabled scientist like Stephen
Hawking wrote his scientific treaties using the computer technology that won
him worldwide acclaim before he died in England. He could not speak or move his
limbs but his brain remained at the peak of its efficiency because his mental
acuity remained intact.
So I think that more you use your brain, the sharper it
becomes like honing a rusty blade. The use of the brain helps remove the rust
so the brain starts to wake up to its former glory but it is not as easy as it
sounds. A renowned scientist like Stephen Hawking had all the technology at his
disposal. People who recognized the quality of his thinking process made sure
that he had the latest technology to write what he was thinking. Not all old
people are so lucky. They may still have a lot to offer the world but their
ability must be recognized and honored.
They become dependent on their relatives at a certain age
who do not provide them with facilities to keep them active. The physical
exercise helps a person stay fit but keeping mental acuity strong requires help
as well. They need the love and care they deserve from the people around them.
Chess players are known for their tremendous mental acuity at any age because
they remember the moves, the strategy and their mistakes to improve their
games. Serious thinking helps rejuvenate the brain by pumping new energy into
it. I was told that meditation can help you focus sharply on a subject in your
mind that can make you remember.
I used to draw and paint when I was young in Algeria a long time ago. When my lovely daughter saw the photos of my paintings, she sent me a very expensive water color set, brushes and high quality art paper from Australia so that I could start painting again. She sent me a Kindle where I can download any book I want from Amazon to read so I read Mein Kamph by Hitler that I could not afford to buy from a book store.
Nicola Tesla was a genius but all his hand written notes,
sketches and drawings that could change the world was taken away and secretly
stashed away by the US government because his scientific ideas were so
revolutionary that the Capitalists got scared. He deserved 10 Nobel Prize
but he died in a derelict New York hotel room in dire poverty with no one near
him.
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Source : Google photo of Nicola tesla
His brain remained as sharp as ever but he was neglected and was not given the honor and acclaim he richly deserved because of the politics of capitalism.
Source : Google photo of Rudolf Diesel
In 1892 Rudolf Diesel (1858-1913) patented a design for a new type of internal combustion engine. In 1897 he produced a 25 horsepower, four-stroke, single vertical cylinder compression engine, the high efficiency of which, together with its comparative simplicity of design, made it an immediate commercial success. Subsequent royalty fees brought great wealth to its inventor. He was lost overboard from the mail steamer 'Dresden' during a trip to London in 1913 and was assumed to have drowned. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)
Rudolf Diesel was another genius who invented the engine
that drives the whole world but he was not taken seriously by others until he proved them wrong later.There
are many such examples.
I strongly feel for the people who are old but still have a lot to offer the world but are ignored just because they are old. No one understands their frustrations in not being recognized for their brilliance anymore so they become introverts and shy away from people to retain their dignity. Many smart people like Nicola Tesla and Rudolf Diesel were sidelined by those who saw them as threats to their politico economic systems. Diesel proved them wrong but did not live to enjoy his success.
Many smart people are not promoted in their careers by those who are afraid of their brilliance that could outshine them. We have all heard of the professional jealousies among the scientists and professional career men and women who try to suppress people smarter than them. You all have seen this jealousy in college or in high school where a smart student is mocked by those who are not so smart out of jealousy. It stays with them even in their old age. Women are known to be vicious and nasty to others who are prettier and smarter than them but a smart person always shines. A diamond always glitters even when mixed with ordinary pebbles.
So pay respect to old people who are still brilliant and who can teach you a lot of things in life. Show them that you value their tremendous experience and knowledge and make an effort to let others know about them. Nothing is worse than letting the old people leave this world with all their knowledge and rich experience that none knew about or failed to share with others. If Nicola Tesla had lived in any other country where people valued his genius, we would be living in a very different world enriched by his knowledge.
So if you have old parents or grandparents, share your love with them and talk to them because you will never know how great they were when young and how much they have achieved in their lifetime because such people are naturally self-effacing. They will share their rich experience in life only if you ask them and value them. Ask them to write it all down in a biography that you can help write, print and keep it safe for the next generation.
Remember that just because people get old, it does not mean that they become useless. They just need your love, care and support. I do not mean supporting them with money or gifts but just showing that you care for them and love them will bring back the glint in their old eyes again.
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La biografía de anil en español.
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