Youth at Leisure: At What Age Does a Person Reach the Peak of Their Development 0 13

According to the WHO classification, a person transitions from middle age to elderly at 60. And although there are many 60-year-olds today who can outpace the young, the definition of "elderly" is unlikely to be pleasant for anyone.

But do not let this age threshold scare you. A recent study showed that the peak of human development occurs at 55-60 years old.

Of course, this does not refer to physical indicators. When it comes to criteria such as cardiovascular endurance, bone density, brain volume, and strength, people reach their peak between the ages of 25 and 35. Therefore, top athletic achievements are usually accomplished before the age of 35.

Indicators such as memory capacity and information processing speed also typically peak during young years — from 18 to 22. As a result, many mathematical discoveries are made by scientists closer to the age of 30.

However, it is not only physical indicators and memory that determine life success. Researchers from the University of Western Australia and the University of Warsaw gathered 16 parameters and found out how each of them develops throughout life.

The authors discovered that overall cognitive activity, emotional intelligence, decision-making ability, and personality development continue to evolve until mid-life, reaching their maximum around the age of 60.

Thus, the peak of our intelligence occurs between the ages of 55 and 60. From the age of 65, this indicator begins to decline, but a more noticeable drop occurs after 75. This may be related to the fact that overall human activity significantly decreases.

Crystallized intelligence, meaning accumulated knowledge and our vocabulary, continues to grow until the age of 60. Financial literacy develops until the end of the sixth decade. And although news feeds are full of headlines about deceived pensioners, studies show that older people are much less likely to throw money away compared to the young.

Such important personality traits as conscientiousness and emotional stability also strengthen with age, peaking at 50-60 years.

"Conscientiousness can be defined as professional dedication, hard work, perseverance in achieving goals, organizational skills, and discipline. Furthermore, this concept includes qualities such as responsibility, prudence, and consistency. Together, all of this forms a personality that strives for order, goal achievement, and reliability both in the workplace and in personal relationships," states the study published in the journal Intelligence.

Conscientiousness is a quality highly valued by HR professionals. Moreover, studies show that conscientious individuals achieve greater career success and report higher life satisfaction.

Emotional stability is also a very important trait sought by recruiters. People with high emotional stability tend to exhibit calmness and are less emotional under stress. They are composed and self-assured. Additionally, employees with stable mental health show better performance.

Weighing all this, researchers concluded that the peak of "overall cognitive-personal functioning" occurs at 55-60 years, with a decline observed after 65-70 years.

Through their work, the authors aimed to emphasize that employers should not dismiss older specialists.

"Individuals most suited for responsible leadership, managerial, or executive roles are between the ages of 55 and 60 and are unlikely to be younger than 40," the researchers summarize.