Big Takeaway:
The way we think changes as we age, so that developing ideas, facts and skills becomes harder, BUT the way we use ideas, facts and skills becomes easier!
This is fluid intelligence vs crystallized intelligence, a concept first introduced by Raymond Cattell in the 1970s.
Here’s a quote from page 27 which summarizes it well:
“When you are young, you have raw smarts; when you are old, you have wisdom. When you are young, you can generate lots of facts; when you are old, you know what they mean and how to use them.”
This was a huge relief for me when I read this. I was in the midst of so much frustration with my design and marketing work, feeling pulled away from it. To read that this frustration was actually normal was so validating.
Yes, it IS completely natural for us to feel dissatisfied and frustrated as we move into the latter part of our career, especially if we insist on using that fluid intelligence, those skills which got us success.
To breathe new life into our careers, Mr. Brooks suggests we need to jump into what he calls the second curve of our career, which uses the crystallized intelligence.
There are three aspects Mr. Brooks identifies we will need to address to help us move into that second curve:
1) addiction to work and success
2) attachments to worldly rewards
3) fear of decline
There are plenty of stories, studies and steps in the book to help the reader address these aspects.
Once those aspects have been addressed, we can move more fully into the second curve when we:
1) develop lasting relationships
2) lean into a spiritual journey
3) embrace our weaknesses
Mr. Brooks provides studies, stories and steps to back up the claims on each of those and their importance in leading a life of success and happiness.
And if we need guidance on what our work will look like in that crystallized intelligence space he suggests we find work which:
1) is worth an appropriate level of sacrifice (say, for getting a teaching certificate so we can use our wisdom)
2) is rewarding in itself, not in the prestige, titles pride which might come with it
3) is interesting, which he describes as a combination of enjoyable and meaningful.
He also asks us to consider careers can take many different shapes including spirals as we move up or mountains and valleys.
Mr. Brooks ends with a seven-word mantra of sorts which to me, wraps up his take on how our careers really do reflect our take on life in general. He encourages us to
Use things. Love people. Worship the divine.
