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I can’t deny that ageing has its downsides, but I like to comfort myself with the thought that it probably has its upsides too. Advancing age is supposed to bring increased understanding, knowledge and wisdom, but I’m not entirely convinced. I do know how to make a white sauce and where the stopcock is, so I don’t think the last 62 years have been entirely in vain. In many cases older people have more disposable income and possibly a house of their own as well. Also, once you’ve retired you have more leisure time in theory, although this can be nibbled away by assorted family members asking you to look after their children, paint their walls, drive them to hospital appointments and walk their dogs.

It can be very hard to say no to your family, but fortunately there is a widespread belief that people become more assertive with age. Women in particular say that they become more confident and at ease with themselves as they get older, claiming that they are no longer so worried about what other people think of them. Instagram is full of women who’ve found their mojo at age 50+ and endlessly post pictures of themselves all mojoed up, which to me looks suspiciously like they’re seeking social affirmation from complete strangers. The human mind is a mysterious thing.

But where has this newfound self-belief and assertiveness come from? Why does it appear all of a sudden in midlife? There is a theory that as the female body produces less oestrogen the effect of testosterone is greater, making women less nurturing and more assertive. Or it might just be that women in particular have spent so many years looking after other people, at home and often at work too, that finally they can happily focus on themselves and embrace their own lives for a change.

I am comfortable with both these theories, but I was listening to one of my current favourite podcasts when I learned that there’s a third, more disturbing explanation. No Stupid Questions features Stephen Dubner, of Freakonomics fame, and Angela Duckworth, a psychology professor, answering questions (to the best of their abilities, which are pretty impressive) sent in by the general public. These two have a great rapport and share a lively sense of humour, so while other presenters might make heavy weather of some of the topics they discuss, this podcast is always entertaining and enlightening as well.

At one point they were discussing why people tend to become more direct with age and although it could be dressed up as confidence and forthrightness, Angela Duckworth pointed out that all parts of our bodies function less effectively as we get older, including our brains. So the front part of our brain, which is supposed to ensure that we remember our manners and are fit to go out in public, starts to become a little woolly, with the result that we blurt out all sorts of things that might be better left unsaid. I quite like the idea that our accumulated wisdom and confidence give us the freedom to speak our minds, but I’m less keen on the possibility that my brain’s just not doing its job. Although, looking at the people in public life, I can see that I’m not alone.