21. My prefrontal cortex finished baking in the oven
I was talking to a friend about our birthdays this year. We're both in the big Quarter Club this year, nice. So it seems that my prefrontal cortex is finally fully cooked. It's the region of the brain that tempers impulsive behavior, and controls strategic thinking, judgement, etc...
After all, you constantly hear all these people in their late 20s and 30s talk about all the stupid stuff they did after turning 18 and in their early 20s that they really regret. By about 25, most people have gotten most of that out of their system and can then start acting like a "mature" adult. Recently, I feel like things are a lot clearer to me, a lot sharper. Perhaps it's my third eye opening? As I was discussing and joking around with my friend, I realize that there really is some nugget of truth there.
But honestly, it's not like some magic switch turns on at the 25th birthday, it's a benchmark by which time people generally have the executive functioning skills of an adult. My risk assessment and long term planning finally developed, but unfortunately, I still take a lot of risks and I have no idea what my long-term goals are at the moment...
To me, I felt the switch turn on internally. I think I stopped giving much of a shit about things (like the trivial things in life) and started being a lot happier and comfortable in my own skin? I was a bit miserable before, but I'm slowly snapping out of it. It's kind of a great feeling. Getting older is getting pretty cool these days.
The brain is constantly changing. It isn't that it stops developing, just that different aspects of cognition peak at different ages across the life span. Sometimes they hold stable at the peak and sometimes they start to decline. Most of those skills are in place before mid twenties. It isn't that suddenly in your twenties you acquire those skills, just that they reach their sharpest point at some point in the third decade. Other aspects of cognition peak earlier, and others later. There are also many factors and contexts and environments along the way that can shift how the brain develops.
Basically as I get older, my mind isn't expanding, it's just deepening.
It would be crazy if I met 20 year old me, honestly I’d probably pass out. Now, I care more about how nice people's porches are and interior decor. I also love Jeopardy and trivia. I enjoy seltzer water sometimes.
~ an official member of the quarter club (but a child at heart),
<3 K