Ageing: How does life experience influence us as we age? (Bromley venue)

NOTE: the pub does not charge for our space on the understanding that we all purchase something from the bar. Please support them. I'll be there from around 7pm if anyone would like a social chat before we get started. Please arrive in time for a prompt start at 7:30. In this discussion we’ll explore the effects of life experience and maturing as adults on our development. We’ll focus on two aspects in particular: personality and wisdom. Along the way we’ll consider the extent to which we are responsible for who we are today and who we might become in future. Personality: To what extent do we become different kinds of people as we age? "Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man." this quote, widely attributed to St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, suggests a degree of predictability of adult personality from the 7 year old child, (though perhaps only after an early childhood of indoctrination, depending on how you interpret “Give me a child until…”). * To what extent do we believe this? * To what extent do our experiences beyond 7 shape us in ways that could not be predicted at 7. * Is it true prediction – as opposed to hindsight: seeing the roots of adult personality traits when looking back at memories of the child? The now completed “7 Up” TV series followed a diverse cohort of people between ages 7 and 70, filming every 7 years from 1964 to 2026. All episodes are now available on ITVx.