Summary: From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks

• Are you looking for a way to make your later years a time of happiness, purpose, and success? If so, you might want to read this book by Arthur C. Brooks.
• To learn more about how you can go from strength to strength in the second half of life, read on for my summary and review of this book.

From Strength to Strength (2022) is a roadmap for thriving in the second half of life. Packed with practical advice, it helps readers stop dwelling on past successes and find fulfillment in the present.

Who is it for?

• Anyone facing the decline of their professional abilities
• Professionals preparing to pivot from one career to another
• Everyone who wants to lead a life full of purpose

Introduction: Finding purpose and fulfillment in the second half of life.

For the first half of life, working tirelessly seems to be a tried-and-true formula for success. But eventually, working hard stops working.

As we age, our abilities change. But contrary to popular belief, that isn’t a bad thing.

In fact, the second half of life can be even more promising than the first. With the right strategies and mindset, you can find success and lasting fulfillment as you age – happily going from strength to strength.

We’ll show you how.

In these summaries, you’ll learn

• which major mistake Charles Darwin made in the second half of his life;
• why knowing when to walk away is the secret weapon of many successful people; and
• how the brain changes as you age – and how to use this to your advantage.

Professional decline is inevitable – but that isn’t a bad thing.

What do you think when you hear the name Charles Darwin? Successful scientist, or complete failure?

Of course, most people would consider Darwin’s career to be a massive success. At 22, he boarded a royal ship and embarked on a now-famous scientific expedition – spending five years scouring the globe to collect the exotic plant and animal samples that would earn him an esteemed spot in history.

At 27, he developed the theory of natural selection, which proposes that organisms best adapted to their environment are most likely to thrive through survival of the fittest. At 50, he published On the Origin of Species, his best-selling magnum opus that changed science forever.

Today, Darwin is a household name. His theory of natural selection is taught in countless classrooms around the world. His writing has been read by billions. He’s hailed as the Father of Evolution and is buried in Westminster Abbey as a national hero. To say he made an impact on humankind would be an understatement.

And yet, Darwin died considering himself a failure. Why?

Like many successful professionals, Darwin couldn’t bear to see his career decline as he approached old age. Publishing On the Origin of Species at 50 was the peak of his career – and from there, he’d no place to go but down. From 50 to 73, Darwin found himself stuck in a period of creative stagnation.

No more scientific breakthroughs. No more industry-defining books. And for Darwin, that meant no more purpose.

“I have not the heart or strength at my age to begin any investigations lasting years, which is the only thing which I enjoy,” he lamented to a friend. “I have everything to make me happy and contented, but life has become very wearisome to me.”

Fame and fortune meant nothing to Darwin in his later years. What he wanted was to achieve new scientific progress and success – and eventually, doing so was simply beyond his abilities.

Charles Darwin was a brilliant scientist. But whether you’ve followed in his footsteps or taken a different path entirely, you and the Father of Evolution have a lot in common.

You see, Darwin’s professional decline was completely normal and predictable. Whether dancer, doctor, painter, or pilot, one thing is sure: one day, you’ll face a similar decline in your career.

The prefrontal cortex is to blame for that pesky phenomenon. It’s the part of the brain responsible for working memory, executive function, and the ability to focus. A strong prefrontal cortex enables you to improve upon your speciality, whether that’s writing sonnets or performing heart surgery. And it also happens to be the first part of the brain to decline in adulthood.

Study after study shows that in almost every high-skill profession, decline sets in sometime between one’s late 30s and early 50s.

Consider the research of Northwestern University professor Benjamin Jones, for instance. He’s spent years studying when people are most likely to make prizewinning scientific breakthroughs and key inventions. Drawing from over a century’s worth of data, Jones found that the most common age for great discovery is one’s late 30s. From there, the likelihood of having a Darwinian breakthrough declines dramatically through one’s 40s, 50s, and 60s. By 70, the probability of producing a major innovation is approximately zero.

The same pattern plays out across many other industries. In aviation, air-traffic controllers are mandated to retire at 56 because the consequences of declining abilities are too dangerous. Only about 5 percent of startup founders are over 60. And in a recent study of Canadian anesthesiologists, researchers found that physicians over 65 are 50 percent more likely to be found at fault for malpractice than their younger peers.

These statistics may sound disheartening. But here’s the good news: they don’t have to be a source of stress. In fact, they shouldn’t be.

With the right mindset and tool kit, you can reframe a decline in professional abilities as an opportunity to pivot toward new types of success – and make the present even more fulfilling than the past.

Crystallized intelligence is your secret weapon in the second stage of life.

Of course, pivoting toward new types of success in the second half of adulthood sounds much easier said than done. So, where should you start?

To find out, let’s look at the research of British psychologist Raymond Cattell. According to Cattell, there are two types of human intelligence: fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence.

Cattell defined fluid intelligence as “the ability to reason, think flexibly, and solve novel problems.” It might help someone solve complex mathematical equations, devise new inventions, or – in Darwin’s case – make a breakthrough scientific discovery.

But here’s the kicker: fluid intelligence is highest in early adulthood and declines dramatically starting in one’s 30s and 40s. Eventually, it will fail you.

Fortunately, that’s where crystallized intelligence comes into play. Cattell defined crystallized intelligence as “a person’s knowledge gained during life by acculturation and learning.” Since crystallized intelligence relies on accumulated knowledge, it increases through one’s 40s, 50s, and 60s, and doesn’t decline until much later in life.

In other words, young people have the ability to think on their feet and recall facts. But older people are uniquely able to better understand and apply that knowledge.

If your career hinges on fluid intelligence, you’re bound to experience eventual disappointment – much like Darwin did. But if your career relies on crystallized intelligence – or you can pivot to a path that does – you can find deep fulfillment and professional success in the second half of life.

Teaching is one of the most popular career paths that relies on crystallized intelligence. In fact, a recent study in the Chronicle of Higher Education found that the oldest college professors typically had the best teaching evaluations within departments. This was especially true in the humanities, where professors received lower ratings early in their careers and continuously improved throughout their 60s and 70s.

But that doesn’t mean you have to enter academia to achieve success in your second half of adulthood. Crystallized intelligence is essential in many different settings, from college lecture halls to the C-suite. Take the start-up world, for instance. A young, scrappy entrepreneur may be able to generate several new business ideas a day – but they’ll likely rely on a wise, experienced advisory board to tell them which ones are most likely to succeed and why.

The Roman orator Cicero had a few fundamental beliefs about older age. First, it should be dedicated to service. Second, the greatest gift at this stage of life is wisdom – which can and should be passed down. Third, one’s natural strength in older age is to mentor, advise, and teach others. And finally, our focus shouldn’t be on amassing worldly rewards like money, power, or prestige – rather, it should be on giving back.

So rather than regretting the decline of your fluid intelligence, relish in your rising crystallized intelligence – and put this unique gift to good use by shaping younger generations. Your wisdom can serve others well.

Success often means knowing when to walk away.

Let’s travel back in time for a moment to meet a Roman dictator named Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus. It was 458 BC, and Rome was under siege. What happened next?

The answer may seem anticlimactic: Cincinnatus led Rome to victory, remained in power just until it returned to stability, then abruptly resigned – retiring to a small farm, where he proceeded to lead a quiet life with his family.

If Cincinnatus had decided to remain dictator, however, we may not even know about him today. Clinging onto power, he probably would have grown ineffective and unpopular. Perhaps he’d even have been assassinated, as other ambitious statesmen were.

But that isn’t true. History remembers Cincinnatus as a virtuous leader. In fact, there’s even an American city – Cincinnati, Ohio – named after him today. Cincinnatus is admired for one powerful reason: he knew when to walk away.

That’s a lesson we’d all benefit from internalizing in older age. In fact, these summaries wouldn’t exist if the book’s author, Arthur C. Brooks, hadn’t known when to walk away.

You see, Brooks never dreamed of being a social scientist, best-selling author, think tank leader, or Harvard professor. As a child, he had just one life goal: to become the world’s best French horn player.

Growing up, he played his instrument for multiple hours every single day of the week. His bedroom walls were decorated with photos of famous horn players. He studied with the best local music teachers his family could afford and was consistently lauded for his talent.

At 19, Brooks began playing professionally in a touring chamber music ensemble. While others his age were off at college, he toured the country playing 100 concerts per year. By 21, he’d seen all 50 states and 15 foreign countries. When he turned on the radio, he’d occasionally hear albums he’d worked on. His dream of becoming the world’s best horn player felt well within reach.

Then, the unexpected happened: in his early 20s, Brooks started getting worse.

Desperate to stay on top, he started visiting famous teachers and practicing more than ever before. But nothing helped. Brooks experienced blow after blow. Pieces that were once walks in the park became challenging to play, and pieces that were already challenging became impossible.

For nine long years, he continued to play the French horn and pray for a miraculous return to his former abilities. But it never materialized. So at 31, Brooks – like Cincinnatus – walked away. He abandoned his lifelong dream.

As you can imagine, this was a painful process. His entire life up until that point had been singularly focused on one specific goal, and that was no longer attainable.

But Brooks carried on. He had the courage to find a new future – and that made all the difference.

By now, you know where this story is going. Since pivoting away from music in 1994, Brooks has found tremendous professional success and personal fulfillment as a social scientist, think tank president, university professor, and best-selling author. He’s unlocked new talents that he uses to benefit many through his work.

And yet, none of this is what he’d imagined life had in store for him.

Let that be a lesson as you navigate your own professional journey. Where one opportunity ends, another begins – and to find your purpose in the second stage of life, you must embrace change and tread new pathways. Doing so may take courage, but it’ll be worth it.

Shake your reliance on worldly success and rewards to find true fulfillment.

Finally, there are two enemies you’ll want to avoid while navigating your way through the second stage of life: first, addiction to work and success, and second, attachment to worldly rewards.

Across industries and around the world, many high-achieving professionals are wired to crave continuous success. But workaholism is a serious problem. Addicted to success, workaholics depend on the dopamine hit that results from receiving money, power, or prestige. However, these chemical highs are short-lived – they don’t lead to lasting happiness.

And as we discussed earlier, success won’t look the same later in life due to declining abilities. That can be devastating for workaholics, who might have identity crises or crash and burn when their professional abilities start shifting.

To avoid this, you must recognize that you can’t rely on professional success to achieve happiness. As the famous former Formula 1 race-car driver Alex Dias Ribeiro wrote, “Unhappy is he who depends on success to be happy.”

Rather than finding happiness solely in professional success, turn to outlets that will never fail you – whether that’s family, friendships, or faith. Working until you die and neglecting all else is not success. Leading a balanced life of fulfillment is.

One way to put your priorities into perspective is by distinguishing between “résumé virtues” and “eulogy virtues.”

As their name implies, résumé virtues are professional and indicate stereotypical earthly success – for example, “She won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics,” or, “He raised $100 billion in venture capital for his startup.” By their very nature, these virtues require comparison with others.

On the other hand, eulogy virtues require no comparison at all. They are ethical and spiritual – what you’d want people to talk about at your funeral. For example, a few eulogy virtues might be, “She was incredibly kind to everyone who crossed her path,” “He was the most generous person I knew,” or, “Her sunny spirit always lit up the room.”

Workaholics may find it hard to focus on developing eulogy virtues. They’re trained to specialize and be the best – and virtues like kindness and generosity may not strike them as worthy aspirations, simply because they aren’t rare or “special” enough. They may think: Anyone can be kind, but not anyone can build a software business from the ground up. Why would I focus on developing eulogy virtues, when résumé virtues are what got me ahead in the first place?

However, that’s where a crucial reality check is in order. After all, as you age, résumé virtues fade right along with fluid intelligence. It’s eulogy virtues that stick with you, growing stronger and stronger with each passing year.

What’s more, résumé virtues don’t deliver lasting fulfillment like eulogy virtues do. By relinquishing work’s all-consuming grip on your life, you’ll be freed to focus on deepening virtues that deliver lasting happiness – and well on your way to leading a truly meaningful second half of life.

Final Summary

Aging isn’t something to be feared. With the right roadmap, you can make the second half of life even more meaningful than the first – finding lasting fulfillment in the present rather than wistfully living in the past.

And here’s some more actionable advice:

Reconsider your bucket list.

Pull out your bucket list and examine it with a critical eye. Which items will deliver you worldly rewards and which will bring about lasting happiness? Deprioritize items that fall into the first category and focus on everything else. This is where you’ll find fulfillment in the second half of life.

In short, aging isn’t something to be feared. With the right roadmap, you can make the second half of life even more meaningful than the first – finding lasting fulfillment in the present rather than wistfully living in the past.

And there are always things you can do to focus on the right things. Pull out your bucket list and examine it with a critical eye. Which items will deliver you worldly rewards, and which will bring about lasting happiness? Deprioritize items that fall into the first category and focus on everything else.

Be kind to yourself when you notice your fluid intelligence fading, as it inevitably will, and look for ways to put your growing crystallized intelligence to use. This is where you’ll find fulfillment in the second half of life, and how you can keep yourself moving from strength to strength.

Genres

Job Hunting, Careers, Aging, Relationships, Parenting, Self Help, Psychology, Personal Development, Philosophy, Health, Inspirational, Sociology

About the author

Arthur C. Brooks is an American social scientist, Harvard professor, and columnist for the Atlantic. For over a decade, he served as president of the American Enterprise Institute. His past titles include Love Your Enemies, The Conservative Heart, The Road to Freedom, Gross National Happiness, and Who Really Cares?

Table of Contents

Introduction The Man on the Plane Who Changed My Life
Chapter 1 Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think
Chapter 2 The Second Curve
Chapter 3 Kick Your Success Addiction
Chapter 4 Start Chipping Away
Chapter 5 Ponder Your Death
Chapter 6 Cultivate Your Aspen Grove
Chapter 7 Start Your Vanaprastha
Chapter 8 Make Your “Weakness Your Strength
Chapter 9 Cast into the Falling Tide
Conclusion Seven Words to Remember
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index

Review

The book is a guide for anyone who wants to make the most of their later years and find meaning, happiness, and success in the second half of life. The author, Arthur C. Brooks, is a bestselling author, Harvard professor, and the Atlantic’s happiness columnist. He shares his personal journey of transforming his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. He draws on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and eastern wisdom, as well as dozens of interviews with everyday men and women, to show us that true life success is well within our reach.

The book is divided into four parts, each focusing on a key priority or habit that anyone can learn to achieve happiness and success in the second half of life. These are:

• Deep wisdom: The ability to see beyond the superficial and grasp the essence of things. Brooks shows us how to cultivate deep wisdom by learning from our experiences, seeking mentors and role models, reading widely and deeply, practicing meditation and contemplation, and embracing uncertainty and paradox.
• Detachment: The ability to let go of the things that do not matter and focus on the things that do. Brooks shows us how to practice detachment by overcoming our ego, pride, envy, and resentment, by finding joy in simple pleasures, by being grateful for what we have, by accepting our limitations and failures, and by embracing mortality.
• Connection: The ability to form meaningful relationships with others and serve them with love and compassion. Brooks shows us how to foster connection by being empathetic, generous, forgiving, loyal, and humble, by listening actively and communicating effectively, by seeking diversity and common ground, by volunteering and giving back, and by nurturing our family and friends.
• Spiritual progress: The ability to grow in our faith and transcendence, whatever our religious or philosophical beliefs. Brooks shows us how to make spiritual progress by exploring our purpose and values, by seeking guidance from a higher power or a moral code, by practicing prayer or meditation, by joining a community of faith or a spiritual group, and by living ethically and virtuously.

The book is a compelling and inspiring read that challenges us to rethink our assumptions about aging and success. Brooks writes with clarity, humor, and wisdom, drawing on his own experiences as well as those of others from different backgrounds and walks of life. He combines scientific evidence with philosophical insights and practical advice to offer a holistic approach to finding happiness and purpose in the second half of life. He does not shy away from addressing the difficulties and challenges that come with aging, such as loss of abilities, health issues, loneliness, regret, and fear of death. Instead, he shows us how to face them with courage and optimism, and how to turn them into opportunities for growth and transformation.

The book is not a one-size-fits-all formula or a set of rules to follow. Rather, it is a personal invitation to reflect on our own lives and goals, and to experiment with different practices and habits that can help us achieve them. Brooks does not claim to have all the answers or to be an expert on happiness or success. He acknowledges his own struggles and doubts, and invites us to join him on his journey of discovery. He also encourages us to seek out other sources of wisdom and inspiration from various fields and traditions.

The book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to make the most of their later years and find meaning, happiness, and success in the second half of life. It is also a timely reminder that aging is not a curse or a decline but a blessing and an opportunity.