The New York Times: Happiness Comes With Age

Whoever said being old was miserable was full of it, and there's a study to prove it. The New York Times published an article ("Happiness May Come With Age, Study Says") about a recent Gallup poll survey that came to a surprising conclusion about the correlation between age and level of happiness. The Conclusion? Despite the aches, pains and difficulties we associate with growing old, as people age they actually get happier. Good news, huh?

According to the article:

The survey, covered more than 340,000 people nationwide, ages 18 to 85, asking various questions about age and sex, current events, personal finances, health and other matters.

The survey also asked about “global well-being” by having each person rank overall life satisfaction on a 10-point scale, an assessment many people may make from time to time, if not in a strictly formalized way.

The results, published online May 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, were good news for old people, and for those who are getting old. On the global measure, people start out at age 18 feeling pretty good about themselves, and then, apparently, life begins to throw curve balls. They feel worse and worse until they hit 50. At that point, there is a sharp reversal, and people keep getting happier as they age. By the time they are 85, they are even more satisfied with themselves than they were at 18.

Well, well, isn't that wonderful news! The article takes stabs at why this late-in-life increase in happiness might be: environmental changes, paradigm shifts or, perhaps, changes in brain chemistry. That all sounds reasonable, but here's my guess: good ole retirement! For the entire article, click here.

posted by The Sheldon @ 12:05 PM