Neophilia*

Today I learned to iceskate backwards, at a near-empty public rink. I was neither the eldest nor the youngest, and closer to the worst than the best skater, but I think I was the only person past puberty who was trying to learn.  This is true for almost everything, not just skating: the market provides kids with art classes, outdoor activities, and of course literacy; but it assumes that postteens have already found all their interests and won't be starting a new one from scratch.  Even something as basic as walking.  All normal children learn to walk, with or without instruction; adults who've lost the ability (had a stroke, broke a hip) sometimes get so frustrated they give up.  

Obviously there's some evolutionary reason for this.  Young ravens, like human children, inspect and investigate anything new in their environment; once they grow up they switch from neophilic to neophobic, afraid of a pile of Cheetos if they never saw one before. And of course children don't mind making fools of themselves ("acting childish").   They don't like being poked fun at, but in privacy they're remarkably diligent learners if they see the relevance of the material.

In a global world, where careers don't last a lifetime anymore, it seems like neophilia may become essential again.  I wonder what fraction of Google employees would be willing to take a watercolor class if they'd never painted before? I bet more than the average lumpen Joe.

*Not to be confused with necrophilia, pedophilia or pedagogy.