Is this the wisdom that age is meant to bring?

This got my attention because I've found that my empathic emothional responses -of the kind that this study looks at- have been growing 'fuller' in the last handful of years. Now, I'm only in my 50's and that was the decade of life that wasn't actually looked at in this study. But I'd be willing to discover that the process may start to become pronounced in the sixth decade of life. The report of the research is here: Emotional intelligence peaks as we enter our 60s, research suggests
It's clear that it's research that will need further investigation as there are only 144 subjects. But the fact that it seems to corroborate informal observation and coheres with an earlier study gives further plausibility, as does the explanatory hypothesis:

"'Increasingly, it appears that the meaning of late life centers on social relationships and caring for and being cared for by others,' Levenson said. 'Evolution seems to have tuned our nervous systems in ways that are optimal for these kinds of interpersonal and compassionate activities as we age.'"

And the reason I linked this with wisdom can be seen in these phrases from the report:

Older people, it turned out, were the best at reinterpreting negative scenes in positive ways using positive reappraisal, a coping mechanism that draws heavily on life experience and lessons learned. ...
heightened sensitivity to sadness does not indicate a higher risk for depression in the context of Seider's study, but is actually a healthy sign

In other words there is greater emotional resiliance developing in healthy adults as they age. Of course, this would also mean that things like MBTI scores relating to the 'F' function as people age. This may be of a piece with the matter of 'growing into ones shadow' which is meant to be a mid-life and after characteristic.

Wisdom 'is the brain slowing down in old age'

This seems to be telling us that getting older does have some perks. First off; you can teach an old dog new tricks: its just that it takes a little bit longer, but not learning them is more to do with attitude than ability:

Scans of elderly people's brains also found that their ability to learn new skills was undiminished despite their advancing age.

But here's the kicker:

"The elderly brain is less dopamine-dependent, making people less impulsive and controlled by emotion. Older people also less likely to respond thoughtlessly to negative emotional stimuli because their brains have slowed down compared to younger people. This, in fact is what we call wisdom.
'MRI scans have also identified the four regions of the brain that contribute to wisdom, with older people demonstrating a higher level of activity between these regions than younger people.'"

Now I'm not fully sure that I'd call this 'wisdom', but I am willing to concede that it probably has something to do with it. I'm also reflecting that in the Scriptures, leaders are often called elders. It may be that the age factor was recognised in judging suitability to leadership and perhaps some of it was down to the effects of what this research has laid bare... ?

Wisdom 'is the brain slowing down in old age' - Telegraph:

Teenagers need 11am lie-in

The initial research is a few years old now, but more recent classroom research has borne it out and one school is taking action on it. "... research carried out by Professor Foster showed that, from the age of 10, our internal body clocks shift, so it's good for young people to stay in bed. They peak at 20 then gradually go back again, but body clocks do not reach the pre-teenage level until around 55 years old. The 'time shift' is two hours on average, so teenagers should get up two hours later. We are making teenagers ratty by making them get up early."
While I'm quite willing to believe this, what I don't get is how this relates to our ability to shift our body clocks when we travel to different time zones. I presume that perhaps it's to do with how the body regulates the sleep hormone in relation to daylight. It would also explain how come evening services are a better bet for teens and twenties than morning. You see? We knew it all along!
Teenage pupils deserve 11am lie-in, says head | Education | The Observer:

Baby boomers won't retire quietly

As someone born on the cusp of baby boom and gen X, I'm rather sensitive to this issue, particularly as I seem to be watching church pensions shrinking and the ability of the present giving to make up the actuarial lack diminishing also. So for me the future in 20 years or so seems to require the possibility of continuing some degree of employment. There's more in this helpful article Baby boom Britain won't retire quietly | Society | The Observer And here's the start of why it's important: "Older people are fitter than ever before and many do not want, or cannot afford, to retire at 65. Last week there was a taste of the fights to come with a series of challenges to the government over age discrimination."
The article raises interesting and important issues like this one: "retirement has a class conflict,... between "the working classes who are rather glad to get out of jobs they didn't enjoy and the middle classes and people with more interesting jobs who are desperate to stay in".
And I have to say that I think I already see the evidence of this appearing in the media: "A grey pound will change consumer culture. Materialism and fashions dominated by youthful energy and sexual imagery could disappear under the weight of what economist George Magnus calls "boomerangst" - the interest of babyboomers in the implications of their ageing and an older society."
In terms of what we need to consider in terms of the mission of the churches, this struck me as important: "Health problems that come with old age are seeing a change. "There is a huge rise in the number of older people with depression. Why that is I don't know, but it's certainly increased hugely even in the last year," said Carroll. "We try to reach these people but there are huge waiting lists for our services. Isolation remains a problem."
I'm wondering whether this is the parallel to teenage depression which seems to be linked, I seem to recall, with not really having a sense of purpose. Once people can't immerse themselves in their work and can't distract themselves with whatever money can buy, naked life faces us and it may not look that attractive. That's what the existentialist and nihilist artists have been trying to tell us for the best part of a century: now its truth may be hitting home.