How late is too late in life?

Ok, the topic may seem kinda fuzzy. I am on the wrong side of my twenties and now, after completing MBA and working with a company.

I am not dissatisfied or feeling stuck, but sometimes (especially at weekends) , I get a feeling that a special skill would have been handy. I always had a passion for playing the guitar but now I am kinda embarrassed to sign up for guitar lessons as I feel that the prime period for learning is well behind me.

Even some of my friends ridicule this idea of taking guitar lessons and they say am too old for that but I feel it is worth giving a shot!

Is is true that at a mature age the acumen for learning diminishes? Do you of you guys have ever given a shot at learning something similar/performing arts at a mature age?

It's never too late to do what you want.

As long as you're physically able, its never late, never.

My parents always told me this as I was growing up as an attempt to make me apply myself to the fullest. I'm 25, bordering 26, and I've come to believe its somewhat true. Its not that you get dumber or anything, but as an adult, your mind is congested with all these memories, feelings, responsibilities, worries, things to keep track off...etc that it gets somehow harder to pick some new thing up like the guitar or a new language. On the other hand, you will find that with age comes much needed wisdom and consciousness of your own world and if you have been living your past life with the objective of learning and growing as an integral part of your existence, then you will realize that your higher faculties have never been of their current caliber as an adult which is something worthy of celebration and should give you the momentum you need to master this or that skill.

So the bottom line is, it becomes harder to get yourself to commit to something, but once you're past that you'll find that you're more potent than ever not the other way around.

If you always listen to your dumb friends, you won't get far.

I'm *trying* to learn Italian on my own, I'd be the only person that I know of in my still-living Italian half of the family that spoke it. I did French throughout school, until 8th grade, so I'm picking up some similarities but it's still not easy.

Take the guitar lessons. You'll regret it if you never try.

I agree with u I'm 42 and I'm thinking of going back to the gym u can never say its to late to do something lol.

If you want to do it, do it.

Do it; I'm 29, moved to the Netherlands so I need to learn the language, always wanted to learn to play an instrument and I've always loved photography but never got myself to invest in a good camera. Now I'm learning Dutch (also know a 65 year old guy who just moved to the NL and is learning as well!), learning an instrument and I bought myself a camera so I'm learning photography as well. Also, I was a programmer for 10 years and at 26 I changed careers to physical therapy...If you really want it, age doesn't matter.

I've almost 27 and I feel its too late for me :(

72 years old, practically every muscle ceased working, medically advised he should have died in his mid 20's.

This

And this

Both sentences are coming from the same comment same dude but I separated them for emphasis.

Thanks a ton for your inspirational posts, people!

Returned couple of hours hour back with a spanking new guitar and all set to take the plunge! :)

good for you. good luck!

Buy Rocksmith 2014 ed first before you take lessons. Give that a month or two then sign up. I've never actually used Rocksmith, but it seems a good place to start. Buy a book and concentrate on proper hand technique. I have permanent trigger finger from bad fretting hand technique.

EDIT: this is coming from someone that used to play bass for almost a decade and dabbled in guitar. Learn major and minor notes/chords and go from there.

Growth and change is part of a mentally and psychologically healthy life.

Have to agree with most, it's never to late! Life would be pretty dull if we weren't constantly learning :)

It depends, I think. Playing guitar (instrumentalist) is different than writing music (musician). Not all people can write original music, but playing guitar (or any other instrument) is all muscle memory. Repetition. Practice.

If you can type, you can play guitar with some practice. It's the same principle: think it and your fingers know what to do because they've done it a million times already.

That's why practicing scales is so important: it gets your fingers trained.

It's too late when you're dead. That's about it.

For guitar lessons? That's what you are embarrassed about? Really?

Go for it. You aren't dead yet, so it's never too late. Unless you are physically unable to do it.

Well I was talking more about the psychological or cognitive component of the act of committing oneself to something new and how it relates to growing older. But yea I definitely agree there's no stopping (is the expression correct here?) any physically able individual of doing anything should he feel like it.

I wish I will get the chance to learn how to play the synthesizer one day, and may be the guitar too.

Good for you! Go rock'em!

I've never forgotten a sermon my minister once told when I was in my teens. He said that he had gone to a birthday party for a 92 year old man. While they were cutting the cake he asked the man (John) if he had any regrets.

John thought for a while and replied, "I've always regretted that I never learned how to play the piano."

The minster said, "well why don't you buy a piano and take some lessons?"

John laughed "I'm too old."

To which the minister replied, "yes but NEXT year you will be 93 - with NO regrets."

This has always stuck with me and when I'm hesitant to try new things I just remind myself "next year you'll be __ - with no regrets."

@Serioussamik:

Don't let your Parents / partner control your life ..

go backpacking ..... watch documentary Lonely Planet (bradley cooper in it) and leonardo dicaprio "the beach", for inspiration .....

Travel to asia ... not africa lol

I started running in 2010 aged 41 and completed my first ultra marathon a 62 mile/100k in 2012 aged 43. I'm training for a 24 hour run now in June. It's never too late!

The time in life when pursuing goals are too late would be upon death.

Well, don't quit your day job or anything. But as long as it's just a hobby, what's the harm? Go ahead and do it. Go in not expecting to ever make any money off of it, just do it for personal enjoyment, and then it'll be fine even if you stink and never amount to anything.

Its never too late. My friend's mother recently became a Registered Nurse, she is almost 50 years old and used to work as a cashier at a grocery store before this.

Its never too late! Look at the amount of older students you see these days as an example!

Late better than never they say..

@Boddicker:

Thanx for the recommendation. Got Rocksmith 2014 for X360.

Seems like really fun and helpful for beginners. Was getting an audio lag on my TV, but surfed around a bit to find the solution.

It's never to late, go do it because you only get one life.

wow you summed it up the way i said it in my head.

As far as guitars go, you can learn it in later life, it's not like soccer you have to start it at a young age to be a master at it.

On the other hand, if you had any musical talent, why didn't you start it before. Most people like doing things they're good at.

As of age, every age has it's benefits. If you're still healthy, the older the wiser.

Never too late, do eet. Laugh at your friends that laughed at you.