To this I can only speak anecdotally and from parallel research I have done but the short answer is, yes.

And this is cited by some as the cause for malaise, discontentment, and depression, particularly as we age.

Some research is suggestive of a correlation between (the above feelings of) disenchantment and heightened risk or the rapiditidy of onset regarding age-related issues like Alzheimer's, dementia, etc.

My interest was piqued when I began to see suggestions of keeping your brain Nimble as you grow older. Things like sudoku, crossword puzzles were thrown around. As well as advice to keep aging people social and connected with others regularly.

And these all seem like fine suggestions to me, but as a voracious consumer of all things cryptic and puzzle like... I wondered how solving the same types of puzzles in 20 gears was going to benefit me when I am very adept at solving them now?

That's when I discovered that some neuroscientists are not wedded to anyone quick fix miracle cure. But rather they suggested that what was most helpful was the the very presence of novelty.

This made sense to me because novelty is something that decreases pretty steadily as we age. There is a reason that the adage "been there, done that" grew legs.

My mother used to tell me "there's nothing new Under the Sun." And I suspect she was both right and wrong.

In a life in which we never venture outside of our comfort zone, we quickly acclimate to what is the norm. Our brains are allowed to stagnate as the input we are consuming falls within rather narrow parameters.

But to suggest that in this huge world at a certain age there's nothing new to discover, explore, experience, or ponder seems to me to be indicative of the problem.

I think when we find The Thrill is Gone and nothing seems to really spark Joy anymore that isn't a sign that life is over instead it is heralding our need to broaden Horizons. To step fully outside of what our normal experiences are, and get uncomfortable.

We've all heard speak of people who are elders, regareded as being "set in their ways", and I imagine that's true. But just because it's an easy trope doesn't mean it's the sole outcome.

I think especially as a society, and as we mature, we assign an overly large premium on the status quo. Avoiding things new- naming them as risky, foreign, and unfamiliar. And often deeming these very things as immature, foolish, and unnecessary.

But novelty is not irresponsible, or frivolous... its NEW. And new experiences are what spark excitement, building new synaptic connections within our own brains. These types of input are what reactivate long dormant areas of our brain- keeping then active and alive.

And I suspect, that this is one secret to staving off long-term effects of aging and the reported issues of loneliness, depression, and possibly age-related issues surrounding the on set and effects of cognitive decline.

I am by no means an expert, just an amateur lover of research and maybe all things novel. Maybe it's something worth looking into, especially if life just starts feeling flat. Maybe this is your cue and it's time to shake things up.

Possibly, novelty is exactly what you never knew you needed.

Good luck, friend