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An Anonymous Coward writes:
The study begins with data from a 1950 survey of 1,208 14-year-olds in Scotland. Teachers were asked to use six questionnaires to rate the teenagers on six personality traits: self-confidence, perseverance, stability of moods, conscientiousness, originality, and desire to learn. Together, the results from these questionnaires were amalgamated into a rating for one trait, which was defined as "dependability." More than six decades later, researchers tracked down 635 of the participants, and 174 agreed to repeat testing.
In previous studies covering a decade or two, personalities could be recognized as roughly similar. Not this time!
Full paper here, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5144810/ and a longer review here https://digest.bps.org.uk/2017/02/07/longest-ever-personality-study-finds-no-correlation-between-measures-taken-at-age-14-and-age-77/
Next (tongue in cheek) question, is this result unique to Scots, or does it apply to non-miserly groups as well?
(Score: 2) by coolgopher on Friday March 10 2017, @04:51AM (2 children)
As someone approaching the likely half-way mark of life, I'd like to state that I still believe the world would be a better place if the old people in charge would be gone. Even if the young people don't have a clue, they're not steeped in the self-entitled elite-rich-mass-assery screw-the-planet-it's-not-my-problem mindset that the current people in charge seem to be rusted on with.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @07:15AM
Up until the day a charismatic and clever individual walks into their office giving them a nice shiny presentation suggesting that no matter the legislation they pass, it won't have any real effect. And that the science is at least somewhat debatable. Of course our young idealist will naturally be critical. That's until the lobbyist then assures them they'll receive millions of dollars in "donations" and a lifelong "consulting" job after their political term is over with a nice salary - you know, just because the company values their expertise and leadership so much... And suddenly all those critiques and doubts give way.
And this is the problem. It's not that the old people are idiotic or aloof. "Donors" make sure they instill just enough room for cognitive dissonance to break down any sort of ethical idealism they have. I'm increasingly wondering if the solution might not be a clear separation between corporation and state the same way we had a separation between church and state. It wouldn't be easy since corporations do genuinely also have some of the most genuinely qualified people for various political positions, but something needs to be done. Corruption, nepotism, cronyism. These sort of things are what really bring down all great civilizations. And we all think we're immune to such until we face it. Lincoln said it best, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday March 10 2017, @09:49AM
However, I'd rather Corbyn be leading britain, and Sanders be leading the US, than anyone else at the moment, and they're no spring chickens. There's good and bad in every alas a fair chunk of the bad tends to congretate towards entering politics.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves