Loneliness is Not Inevitable

Obviously, as we age, we lose friends to death, illness and different paths taken in our respective lives. That doesn’t mean that we will unavoidably become lonely. Interestingly, the key to fighting loneliness is to focus on the few people with whom we have close relationships either relatively new or over the years and spend less time with people with whom our relationships are more casual. In a way, focusing on fewer friends rather than on a larger network is the key to not being lonely. To put it another way, it is the depth of friendships, not the number of them, that counts. 

Loss of Mental Sharpness is Not Inevitable as We Age

Interestingly, recent research established that people can remain mentally sharp well into their advancing years as long as they keep mentally active.

Apparently, the key to maintaining excellent “cognitive function” (that’s a fancy term for keeping your wits about you) is to learn new skills, not merely engage in old ones. In other words, if you have a good vocabulary and enjoy crossword puzzles, that would not be considered a “new” activity and would have no significant effect on your brain’s functioning. However, if you were to decide to learn a new language, that would keep your brain sharp. Apparently, the key is to do something new that has a challenging aspect.