The Importance of Focusing on Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence in Your Career

Fluid intelligence, which is the ability to solve problems and innovate, tends to improve through one's twenties and thirties, peaks in the late thirties or early forties, and then declines. On the other hand, crystallized intelligence, which is based on knowledge and the ability to use it, continues to increase through one's forties, fifties, and even sixties, and remains high in one's seventies and eighties. It is important to recognize these intelligence curves in order to understand the different rewards they offer and tailor one's career choices accordingly. Careers that rely heavily on fluid intelligence, such as poetry, have a shorter lifespan and usually reach their peak around age forty. Careers that rely on crystallized intelligence, such as history, have a longer lifespan and usually reach their peak around age sixty-five. It is crucial to transition from the fluid intelligence curve to the crystallized intelligence curve as one progresses in their career. This transition can be achieved by manifesting one's skills and knowledge in different ways, such as writing, teaching, or podcasting, to maximize the benefits of crystallized intelligence.