"Children Must be Taught How to Think -- Not What to Think" ~ Margaret Mead

The optimal age to learn new skills is up to the age of twelve according to K Janacek, J Fiser, and D Nemeth. The based this on the findings of their study of learning across a group of people aged four to 85.

If we were to begin teaching our children how to think rather than what to think...just imagine the difference that would manifest in our society and in the lives of individuals. I think this would empower them -- don't you?

Jesse Richardson has a great TEDxBrisbane on this very topic: "How to Think, Not What to Think" https://www.youtube.com/embed/6dluwVks444.

Encourage children (and yourself) to become self-aware and whenever possible teach creative thinking. Creative thinking is less like art and more like design and keeps your thinking in account. When you combine critical and creative thinking a synergy occurs that is greater than the sum.

Warning! Never trust a brain regardless of it's age as we are all to some extent flawed and need to know how to spot bullshit ... remember it is okay to be wrong... just become self-aware to safe guard against it.

You can obtain a great poster (free or pay more for a fancy one) that will help you avoid committing logical fallacies https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/poster

Since, the day my grandchildren were born I have been amazed at how intelligent they are. I also believe it is important and possible to teach old dogs new tricks. So, as the self-directed learner I am I will go on the premise that Margaret Mead's great words can be applied to the child in us all.

References:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22709399

Janacsek K, Fiser J, Nemeth D. "The best time to acquire new skills: age-related differences in implicit sequence learning across the human lifespan".

Jesse Richardson TEDxBrisbane, https://www.youtube.com/embed/6dluwVks444
https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com