Most people's intelligence grows as they age

I suppose it would depend upon someone's health and their diet and alcohol and smoking and drugs and things like this. But, among people who take care of themselves physically and mentally, their intelligence tends to grow throughout their lives by what they study and research and through the school of hard knocks. If you can not only learn from your own mistakes but also the mistakes of others you are ahead of the game at every stage.

It is important to nip problems in the bud before molehills become mountains and it's important not to keep trying to do something that isn't working for you over and over again.

What do they call someone who does that? Usually mentally ill or insane.

So, learning when to cut your losses and to move on is one of the hallmarks of intelligence.

For example, I didn't set out in life to be married three times but that is what happened to me. So, instead of "going down with the ship" like the captain of the Titanic I acted like a survivor and moved on each time. In my present marriage I have been relatively happy now since the mid 90s in my 3rd and hopefully final marriage.

I have watched many of my friends try to stay in relationships that were literally killing them like my 2nd marriage nearly did me and my ex-wife. It isn't about love because I still love all three of my wives. It's about "What is survivable in your life for yourself and your children?"

If you don't survive whatever it is your children and grandchildren might not either.

So, moving on when what you are doing is literally killing you is often what you need to do for your children's sake so they can have good lives and a good future too.