Do You Feel Smarter as You Age? 🧠

I used to think getting older meant having everything figured out.

You know—confidence, wisdom, maybe a solid understanding of what temperature “medium heat” actually is.

Turns out… that part is questionable.

But here’s the thing: I do feel smarter as I age.
Not in a “let me explain compound interest at a dinner party” way—but in a been there, learned that, not doing it again kind of way.

When I was younger, I thought being smart meant knowing answers.
Now I realize it mostly means knowing when to:

• walk away

• stop explaining yourself

• not respond to that text

• and absolutely not argue with strangers on the internet

That’s growth.

I’ve learned that being “right” is wildly overrated.
Being at peace? Much better return on investment.

I also feel smarter because I finally understand that:

• Not every opportunity is for me

• Not every opinion deserves airtime

• And being quiet is sometimes the loudest flex in the room

Younger me collected experiences.
Current me collects boundaries.

And honestly? Boundaries feel like a graduate degree I earned the hard way.

I still Google things.
I still forget why I walked into a room.
And I will absolutely reread an email three times before hitting send.

But I’m smarter where it counts now.

I trust my instincts more.
I don’t rush decisions just to be done with them.
And I no longer confuse chaos with excitement.

So yes—
I may need reading glasses.
But I also need less nonsense.

And that, my friends, feels like real intelligence.