As people age, they tend to become more and more set in their ways. When we are young it is easy to revise our beliefs and adopt new perspectives, but over time, our thinking slowly becomes rigid. But just because this phenomenon is the norm doesn't mean that it's ideal. There are some advantages to more rigid thinking, but I think it's a good idea for old people to continue acquiring new knowledge.

For one thing, an increasing number of medical studies show that staying mentally active can help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease. When you keep your brain engaged, you can build reinforce the connections between brain cells or perhaps even create new ones. This is possibly why Alzheimer's occurs less in populations with higher levels of education. Thus, in order to live a longer and healthier life, it is recommended that elderly individuals continue to pursue cerebral activities like learning new things. Learning has tangible health rewards.

For another thing, continuing to acquire new knowledge will keep elderly individuals emotionally present and connected to the world. When people enter the later stages of their lives, they tend to stop adapting to societal development. Changes in society can seem to come swiftly and without warning, and upon feeling overwhelmed by the sudden alienness of the world around them, many will choose to retreat into their minds to live in simpler, more familiar times. These individuals stop trying to learn to use new technologies or grasp new ways of interacting, and so they become out of touch with those around them. A grandfather unwilling to use Skype to communicate with his grandchildren on the other side of the world, for example, will live a more emotionally impoverished life. So by continuing to acquire new knowledge, elderly individuals can better maintain their connections to others.

Granted, non-stop learning can be tiring and time consuming. There is a prevailing belief that old age is the time to relax and let go of such potentially stressful endeavors, and that the consequences of putting learning on hold are acceptable and even inevitable for old people. I can sympathize with this view—after a lifetime of exertion, people deserve to finally kick back—but in the end, I think that continued learning will lead to an overall increase in the quality of life for elderly individuals. Learning will require some exertion, but how enjoyable will life be if you're too senile or out-of-touch with loved ones to appreciate it? In the end, keeping your brain active will ensure that you can enjoy the time you have left to the fullest.

People generally accept that the older we get, the less new knowledge we acquire. People also generally accept that older people inevitably mentally degenerate and lose touch with society. If we do not relinquish the pursuit of knowledge in old age, however, then we do not have to resign ourselves to senility and alienation.