Life Matters - Separate stories podcast You reach your mental peak at around 60 years of age. Here's why
Dec 29, 2025
Gilles Gignac, an Associate Professor of Psychological Science, reveals that mental functioning peaks between 55 and 60 years old. He discusses how traits like wisdom and emotional stability improve with age, enhancing overall decision-making. Dr. Stephanie Ward, a Geriatrician and health commentator, highlights that happiness and wellbeing also rise in later life, emphasizing the value of older workers. Together, they challenge ageism, advocating for mixed-age environments to benefit from diverse perspectives and strengths.
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Mental Peak Around Late 50s
- Gilles Gignac's study found overall mental functioning peaks between 55 and 60 when combining 16 psychological dimensions.
- This peak contrasts with physical peak in the 20s and challenges common beliefs about when we 'peak'.
Multiple Traits Explain Later Peaks
- The study combines traits like conscientiousness and emotional stability with reasoning and memory to explain later-life peaks.
- These combined psychological traits help explain why people often reach peak earnings and hold complex leadership roles in their 50s.
Cut Losses Better With Age
- Resistance to sunk-cost bias — the ability to cut losses — improves with age as people learn from experience.
- Older adults switch sooner to better opportunities because life experience consolidates this skill.