Wisdom and Curiosity Among Older Learners: Elucidating Themes of Well-Being from Beautiful Questions in Older Adulthood

Abstract

Background: Wisdom and curiosity require greater attention in the lifelong learning literature pertaining to older adulthood. Lifelong learning can assist older adults in amalgamating wisdom and pursuing their curiosities, but how wisdom is amalgamated and how curiosity is pursued in older adulthood needs more exploration. Methods: This qualitative study investigates subthemes of wisdom amalgamation and curiosity pursuits elucidated from interviews of older adults who participated in a universitybased lifelong learning institute. Specifically, older adults were asked to share their big and beautiful questions with the interviewer in order to develop thick descriptions for analysis. Results: This study highlights nine subthemes of wisdom amalgamation and nine subthemes of curiosity pursuits that can be linked to lifelong learning. Openness, asking questions, and making wise decisions were deemed top subthemes for wisdom amalgamation. Learning about topics, finding purpose and meaning, and asking small and big questions were showcased as top subthemes of curiosity pursuits. Conclusions: This study provides the groundwork for utilizing big and beautiful questions as a research method to explore wisdom and curiosity. The study also highlights salient themes of wisdom and curiosity present in older adulthood, which may tie to overall well-being and quality of life.

Ageing: Longevity, Successful and Positive

“…Older people have a life time of experience, knowledge and wisdom to apply that knowledge [48] that can be invaluable for not only themselves but also for many others within society, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) [49] wrote "For age is an opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in another dress, And as evening twilight fades away, The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day" Positivity in old age has two basic necessities, one at a societal level and the other individual. In 2021 the WHO published "The Decade of Healthy Ageing' baseline report [50] with a stated purpose of changing how we think about older people.…”