http://www.burkewilliamsspa.com/2013/09/12/is-dmae-sciences-answer-to-the-fountain-of-youth/
Recently the Wall Street Journal asked six luminaries to “weigh in” on youth. My first reaction to the word luminary was to picture Lumiere from Disney’s, The Beauty and the Beast. But the Wall Street Journal wasn’t interviewing a host of Disney animations (maybe that’ll be in their next issue).
Merriam-Webster defines a luminary as “a person of prominence or brilliant achievement”. The WSJ covered the extent of that definition in choosing their luminaries. Brilliant achievers ranged from Tim Howard, whose success comes in the form of athletics as the U.S. men’s soccer goalie in the last two World Cups, toJeffrey Jensen Arnett, whose success comes in the form of academia related to psychology of emerging adulthood—pretty relevant to youth. The WSJ even selected Kendall Jenner as a youth representative, although the Huffington Post did raise their noses at this choice. However with 9.5 million Twitter followers, I think she certainly fits the bill as “a person of prominence.”
Merriam-Webster defines a luminary as “a person of prominence or brilliant achievement”. The WSJ covered the extent of that definition in choosing their luminaries. Brilliant achievers ranged from Tim Howard, whose success comes in the form of athletics as the U.S. men’s soccer goalie in the last two World Cups, toJeffrey Jensen Arnett, whose success comes in the form of academia related to psychology of emerging adulthood—pretty relevant to youth. The WSJ even selected Kendall Jenner as a youth representative, although the Huffington Post did raise their noses at this choice. However with 9.5 million Twitter followers, I think she certainly fits the bill as “a person of prominence.”
Anyways, I decided to read this article in a #tbt mindset— I recalled my years as a salty high schooler with teenage angst. Because when I thought of youth I thought of my teen years. That time period of about twelve to eighteen where you’re no longer a little kid, but you’re also not legally an adult. But when I read the article, I found that I relate to it now, as a 22-year-old recent graduate far more than I did at fifteen. Does that make 22 the new fifteen? I don’t think so. As actress Goldie Hawn pointed out in her portion of the piece, “we get older every day, but youth is a state of mind.”
For example, Howard explains how his state of mind changed in the realm of soccer. He describes his progression from being a child soccer player and getting “so frustrated [he] would cry every time the ball went in” to growing up and taking “fewer risks” and becoming “more calculating”.
I cannot completely relate to this world-class goalie since my only experience with soccer was at six years old, and I spent the whole season running away from the ball. But what he points out when asked to address the topic of youth is how his way of thinking changed, not how his body aged. It makes me wonder if I’ll ever have to stop taking risks and acquire this sage state of being, or if, in a sense, it is possible to stay youthful forever. Perhaps we should stop searching around the world for the Fountain of Youth, and, instead, look inward.
For example, Howard explains how his state of mind changed in the realm of soccer. He describes his progression from being a child soccer player and getting “so frustrated [he] would cry every time the ball went in” to growing up and taking “fewer risks” and becoming “more calculating”.
I cannot completely relate to this world-class goalie since my only experience with soccer was at six years old, and I spent the whole season running away from the ball. But what he points out when asked to address the topic of youth is how his way of thinking changed, not how his body aged. It makes me wonder if I’ll ever have to stop taking risks and acquire this sage state of being, or if, in a sense, it is possible to stay youthful forever. Perhaps we should stop searching around the world for the Fountain of Youth, and, instead, look inward.
Arnett addresses my age group of 18-29 year olds directly. He says that during this time period “emerging adults… have a lot of time to make decisions.” “Nobody’s going to tell you what to do anymore,” he says. I don’t quite agree with this. Plenty of people have been trying to tell me what to do —my parents, my friends, my bosses, my professors, various media outlets, the list goes on. The difference is that during this time period, I’ve stopped being forced to listen. I can choose the people I want as my advice givers. Luckily, I’ve got some pretty good ones.
Arnett also mentions that social media can combat loneliness during these years. I think he has a point there. Social media does allow for virtual communities to be formed. Look at me here, blogging to a community of readers.
Then there’s Jenner. She talks about maturing much more quickly because of “grow[ing] up around adults”, but trying “to be as immature as [she] can sometimes—react to things as if [she] were 12.” Again, she never mentions getting wrinkly skin or balding as signs of exiting youth. Rather youth to Jenner is laughing and not taking things seriously—her state of mind.
Arnett also mentions that social media can combat loneliness during these years. I think he has a point there. Social media does allow for virtual communities to be formed. Look at me here, blogging to a community of readers.
Then there’s Jenner. She talks about maturing much more quickly because of “grow[ing] up around adults”, but trying “to be as immature as [she] can sometimes—react to things as if [she] were 12.” Again, she never mentions getting wrinkly skin or balding as signs of exiting youth. Rather youth to Jenner is laughing and not taking things seriously—her state of mind.
Doctor Fredric Brandt brings up the disconnect between state of mind and body, and author Maira Kalman talks about the freedom in writing children’s books. “In children’s books, you can be stupid and smart and confused and overconfident,” she tells readers.
Taking risks, laughing a lot, taking the responsibility of being an individual while still being incredibly confused by what life throws at me on a daily basis—these are all things I still do and experience. In fact, I experience these things a lot more than when I was that angsty high schooler several years ago. What I realized from reading this article was that the authors didn’t concur on the age level or the physicality of youth, but they did share commonality when it came to the mindset. Youth is acquiring new responsibility, thinking from a different perspective, embracing life rather than pushing against it. It only makes sense that right after graduating college, I am feeling especially “youthful” since, as a friend put it, I’m “a real world freshman”.
Jenner asks, “What am I going to be like when I’m 65?” I cannot answer for her, but I hope that, while I’m not so young anymore, I still have my adventurous and youthful mind, and I’m embracing life to the fullest. Youth doesn’t have to disappear when we get that first gray hair, it’s a choice we make to put up our own walls. Let’s keep knocking them down.
Taking risks, laughing a lot, taking the responsibility of being an individual while still being incredibly confused by what life throws at me on a daily basis—these are all things I still do and experience. In fact, I experience these things a lot more than when I was that angsty high schooler several years ago. What I realized from reading this article was that the authors didn’t concur on the age level or the physicality of youth, but they did share commonality when it came to the mindset. Youth is acquiring new responsibility, thinking from a different perspective, embracing life rather than pushing against it. It only makes sense that right after graduating college, I am feeling especially “youthful” since, as a friend put it, I’m “a real world freshman”.
Jenner asks, “What am I going to be like when I’m 65?” I cannot answer for her, but I hope that, while I’m not so young anymore, I still have my adventurous and youthful mind, and I’m embracing life to the fullest. Youth doesn’t have to disappear when we get that first gray hair, it’s a choice we make to put up our own walls. Let’s keep knocking them down.