Study reveals the surprising age when your brain is at its sharpest

We often think of youth as the time when our minds and bodies perform at their peak. But new research suggests that the brain’s best years may come later than most people expect. A study published in the journal Intelligence reveals that several key mental and emotional abilities, including judgment, reasoning, and emotional stability, continue improving well into midlife and beyond.The research, led by Gilles E. Gignac, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Western Australia, focused on measurable psychological traits that shape real-world performance. The team examined both core cognitive abilities, reasoning, memory span, processing speed, knowledge, and emotional intelligence, and five major personality traits: extraversion, emotional stability, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and agreeableness.

Surprisingly, the study found that many of these traits reach their highest levels later in life. Conscientiousness tends to peak around age 65, while emotional stability may not reach its maximum until around 75.

Wisdom and moral reasoning keep growing

Some mental dimensions continue improving even further into old age. The researchers found that moral reasoning and the ability to resist cognitive biases, mental shortcuts that can distort judgment and decision-making, often strengthen well into a person’s 70s and 80s.

“Our findings may help explain why many of the most demanding leadership roles in business, politics, and public life are often held by people in their fifties and early sixties,” said Gignac.He added that while certain mental abilities such as processing speed may decline over time, those losses are often balanced by gains in other areas, particularly judgment, perspective, and decision-making, which are essential for leadership.Despite this encouraging evidence, older adults still face barriers when it comes to employment. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 was designed to protect individuals aged 40 and above from unfair treatment in hiring, firing, promotions, and compensation. Yet, age bias remains widespread.

According to a recent Ageism in the Workplace Survey by résumé-building platform Resume Now, nearly 90% of workers aged 40 or older say they have experienced ageism on the job.

Around half reported that their employers primarily hire younger workers.Some industries even enforce age-based limits. Jobs that require acute attention and memory — such as pilots and air traffic controllers, have mandatory retirement ages of 65 or younger.

Call for age-inclusive thinking

Gignac emphasized that age should not be the sole measure of cognitive capability. “Individual experiences vary widely,” he explained, noting that performance should be assessed through direct evaluation rather than assumptions about age.He hopes the findings will encourage more age-inclusive hiring and retention practices:“History is full of people who reached their greatest breakthroughs well past what society often labels as ‘peak age’. Perhaps it’s time we stopped treating midlife as a countdown and started recognizing it as a peak.”