Dr. Ellen Langer

You learn the game of tennis when you're 15. And now you're 40. You shouldn't be doing any of it the same way. And now you're 80. Again, and so what happens is your performance is not going to be as good as it could be because the 80-year-old body is trying to do it as if it's a 15-year-old body. Rather than taking advantage of – there are positive things that happen as you get older.

You learn the game of tennis when you're 15. And now you're 40. You shouldn't be doing any of it the same way. And now you're 80. Again, and so what happens is your performance is not going to be as good as it could be because the 80-year-old body is trying to do it as if it's a 15-year-old body. Rather than taking advantage of – there are positive things that happen as you get older.

They're not all negative. You know, that – I mean, if I'm playing tennis with, I don't know, a 15-year-old kid, I'm going to win without having to move very much because they don't know what they're doing. You know, so that you don't need the same skills the more experience you have with the task necessarily at least. You see what I'm saying is that we freeze our own behavior.

They're not all negative. You know, that – I mean, if I'm playing tennis with, I don't know, a 15-year-old kid, I'm going to win without having to move very much because they don't know what they're doing. You know, so that you don't need the same skills the more experience you have with the task necessarily at least. You see what I'm saying is that we freeze our own behavior.

They're not all negative. You know, that – I mean, if I'm playing tennis with, I don't know, a 15-year-old kid, I'm going to win without having to move very much because they don't know what they're doing. You know, so that you don't need the same skills the more experience you have with the task necessarily at least. You see what I'm saying is that we freeze our own behavior.

Every time you learn something, the way we learn everything, it just ogles the mind. You learn how to drive, and then you freeze the way you're learning how to drive when you know the least about how to drive. And that's the way you're going to do it for the rest of your life. A driving thing, just as a...

Every time you learn something, the way we learn everything, it just ogles the mind. You learn how to drive, and then you freeze the way you're learning how to drive when you know the least about how to drive. And that's the way you're going to do it for the rest of your life. A driving thing, just as a...

Every time you learn something, the way we learn everything, it just ogles the mind. You learn how to drive, and then you freeze the way you're learning how to drive when you know the least about how to drive. And that's the way you're going to do it for the rest of your life. A driving thing, just as a...

not really apropos of anything except in the car, that if you're driving on ice, what do you do? The car starts to skid. You're driving on ice. In California, you don't pay.

not really apropos of anything except in the car, that if you're driving on ice, what do you do? The car starts to skid. You're driving on ice. In California, you don't pay.

not really apropos of anything except in the car, that if you're driving on ice, what do you do? The car starts to skid. You're driving on ice. In California, you don't pay.

That's exactly wrong, Andrew. That used to be the case. This is the way we learn everything. You start the way things are right now, that when you skid, we were told that what you're supposed to do is gently hit the brake and turn into the... Now that there are anti-lock brakes, the only way, the safest way to stop that car is to jam on those brakes.

That's exactly wrong, Andrew. That used to be the case. This is the way we learn everything. You start the way things are right now, that when you skid, we were told that what you're supposed to do is gently hit the brake and turn into the... Now that there are anti-lock brakes, the only way, the safest way to stop that car is to jam on those brakes.

That's exactly wrong, Andrew. That used to be the case. This is the way we learn everything. You start the way things are right now, that when you skid, we were told that what you're supposed to do is gently hit the brake and turn into the... Now that there are anti-lock brakes, the only way, the safest way to stop that car is to jam on those brakes.

But just think about it because this is the way we learn everything. In this case, you're learning how to drive for safety's sake. And then you mindlessly continue that and it becomes very unsafe. I didn't get the memo. No, most people don't. That's why I brought it up now seeming apropos of almost nothing.

But just think about it because this is the way we learn everything. In this case, you're learning how to drive for safety's sake. And then you mindlessly continue that and it becomes very unsafe. I didn't get the memo. No, most people don't. That's why I brought it up now seeming apropos of almost nothing.

But just think about it because this is the way we learn everything. In this case, you're learning how to drive for safety's sake. And then you mindlessly continue that and it becomes very unsafe. I didn't get the memo. No, most people don't. That's why I brought it up now seeming apropos of almost nothing.

But we need to understand that things are changing and pay attention to the way that they're changing and change with it. And the more you hold yourself – you're talking about identity – the more you hold yourself still – the harder that's going to be. I'm much older, as most people are, than I used to be, but I don't have any sense of age. I really don't.

But we need to understand that things are changing and pay attention to the way that they're changing and change with it. And the more you hold yourself – you're talking about identity – the more you hold yourself still – the harder that's going to be. I'm much older, as most people are, than I used to be, but I don't have any sense of age. I really don't.

But we need to understand that things are changing and pay attention to the way that they're changing and change with it. And the more you hold yourself – you're talking about identity – the more you hold yourself still – the harder that's going to be. I'm much older, as most people are, than I used to be, but I don't have any sense of age. I really don't.