Middle Aged People Are Happiest

Middle age is that age phase between the ages of 40 and 60. Until recently, this phase was characterized by a crisis that all middle-aged people went through.

However, several studies show that this is not as true as many people think. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Everything seems to indicate that middle-aged people are the happiest of all.

Life expectancy is much higher than before. Believe it or not, there were times when reaching the age of 50 was not very likely.

On the other hand, most people today exceed this age. All this has given way to the new definition of the term “youth.” From now on, people will get married and have children when they are older.

A reliable investigation

Researchers Nancy Galambos, Harvey Krahn and Matt Johnson of the University of Alberta in Canada conducted a study on happiness among different ages.

To conduct this study, they formed two separate groups. People between the ages of 18 and 43 made up the first group, while the second group was made up of individuals between the ages of 23 and 37.

The survey considered important milestones such as marital status change, health-related aspects, work-related aspects, and many more.

The results of the investigation concluded five interesting things:

• Most subjects showed that they are happier now at 40 than they were at 18.
• People who are married and have a job are generally happier than those who don’t. In addition, these people are also healthier.
• There is no evidence that the midlife crisis really exists.
• In general, people feel happier when they are 40 years old.
• After the age of 30, people’s well-being usually improves.

The myth of the midlife crisis

About three decades ago, the term “midlife crisis” began to gain popularity. At one point they did nothing but talk about it and be afraid of it. The idea associated with this term was that reaching the age of 40 would cause a great deal of pain and suffering.

Those who reached this age usually felt sad and overwhelmed with feelings of nostalgia, because their lives have gone by too quickly. That’s why middle-aged (40-year-olds) started doing immature and childish things to “get young again.”

This term stems from a study conducted by Andrew Oswald, a professor of economics at the University of Warwick. According to him, happiness has a U-shape. Happiness reaches its peak around age 20 and then again at age 70. According to him, people would feel least happy when they are 40 years old.

However, many other studies (including that from the University of Alberta) show that this is not true. These studies found that as people reach middle age, their general sense of well-being grows and becomes more stable. This means that in reality, middle-aged people begin to live life to the fullest at this stage of their lives.

Are middle-aged people really happier?

Both longer life expectancy and the way the term “youth” has changed have changed the way 40-year-olds live their lives. Today, it is rare to see middle-aged people going through a crisis that is truly age-induced.

Now it is exactly the opposite. This is the stage where people start living their lives like never before.

When we are teenagers, the lack of experience and poor emotional regulation can get us into trouble. It is normal to make mistakes at this stage. However, it is important to note that young people generally have enough strength and motivation to want to overcome the problems they experience.

One thing is certain: young people are not synonymous with stability, clarity and calm. This explains why this is the perfect stage to make mistakes and learn from them.

Over time, our ability to analyze and think about things improves. This makes us less likely to act irritated, irrationally and impulsively. Ultimately, we learn to control our emotions and express them assertively.

All this balance and control makes middle-aged people feel much happier than before. However, we should note that there are always exceptions.

Some middle-aged people may not feel that way. But in general, this combination of experience and vitality results in greater well-being.