Why it's never too late to start over
Many times it is said that it is never too late to start over , but this statement has a problem. Normally, this kind of positive messages gain their utility in those moments in which our lives go through difficult times, but it is precisely in those situations when we are most reluctant to accept them: pessimism takes over us.
Of course, it is easy to become pessimistic when you look back and think about the time that, from the present, seems to have been wasted. But this feeling does not change the facts: adopting a totally new lifestyle, learning incredible skills or starting exciting relationships is possible in virtually any situation, regardless of age. Let's see why we know this.
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Why we are always able to adapt
The passage of time not only affects us by making us learn things about the environment; even if we do not realize it, it also makes us internalize a series of beliefs about who we are and where we are going. In other words, the experience also helps us to build a self-concept .
Having a well-established self-concept is very advantageous in many ways. For example, in many cases it allows realistic expectations to be set and not be thrown into extremely risky situations in relation to the little that can be gained from them.
However, this image that we have about ourselves can become a prison. And it is that with the simple step of the years we can arrive at an erroneous conclusion: "if during all this time we have not achieved a certain objective, that means that we are not made to reach it". In other words, having more information makes us falsely conclude that we know all our limits.
- Maybe you're interested: "Self-concept: what is it and how is it formed?"
It's never too late to start over
If something distinguishes us from animals, it is our incredible ability to learn . Although many other species have incredible abilities, they exist because they are burned in their DNA.
Human beings have practically no instincts that condition our behavior in a predictable and stereotyped way, which means that we do not come to the world with this kind of help to adapt to the environment. The good thing about this is that, in the same way that our genetics does not give us special facilities, we have a wide range of opportunities to learn. And yes, at any age.
The ability to learn is part of the brain
Our learning capacity is part of the normal functioning of the brain, since it works from a mechanism called neuronal plasticity: our neurons constantly change their patterns of connectivity, reinforcing certain relationships and weakening others depending on the utility of each of these bridges between nerve cells.
This ability is also reflected in human psychology, for example, allowing us to master skills very well that only a few months ago we did not dominate at all. Pessimism may pass this mental quality unnoticed, but that does not make it cease to exist. In fact, it is a skill that is preserved even when you reach middle age.
In conclusion
If it's never too late to start over, it's just because there are no ties to the past that determine what we will be in the future . Neither our genes nor our past history leads us to act "on rails", following in a straight line the direction by which we arrive to the present.
It is true that the simple fact of being older means that there are certain limits when it comes to delving into the degree of mastery we can achieve by practicing a new skill, but this only matters if we want to reach elite levels. On the other hand, if what we want to start is for example an affective relationship , this small limitation disappears; there are no "elite" ways to love and relate to loved ones.
After all, starting over again is simply the union of two elements: the learning of new habits and routines, and a change of scenery related to the physical and social environments through which we move. This is something that is perfectly achievable regardless of the time that has passed since the beginning of our life journey. It is worth taking advantage of this simple fact that allows us to develop our objectives in any direction.
