Not happy yet? Well, if you are over 80, you should be. According to a University of Chicago survey, people are happier when they are older.
The study, published in the American Sociological Review, found that people in their 80s had about a 50 percent chance of being very happy. Among 18 year olds, the highest likelihood of being very happy occurred among white women, with a 33 percent probability of being giddy with joy. The rest of the groups such as white men, black women, and black men have varying degrees of probability from 15 percent to 28 percent.
Researcher Yang Yang, reasoned that
“The increase in happiness with age is consistent with the ‘age as maturity hypothesis….’ With age comes positive psychosocial traits, such as self-integration and self-esteem; these signs of maturity could contribute to a better sense of overall well-being. Second, group differences in happiness decrease with age due to the equalization of resources that contribute to happiness, such as access to health care, Medicare and Medicaid…”
Baby boomers, unfortunately, were the least happy among those surveyed. Yang Yang suggests that boomer’s “…expectations were so great, that not everyone in the group could get what he or she wanted as they aged due to competition for opportunities. This could lead to disappointment that could undermine happiness…”
1 response so far ↓
1 Cathy Warren // Nov 17, 2008 at 8:38 am
Happiness can be acquired at any age. Always stay positive. Reinvent yourself. Continue to be active and passionate about life.
Leave a Comment