This Blog post is a reprint of an article on happiness and aging from the Our Health Co-op newsletter today. I thought it was great and worth sharing!
"This kat had a close friend make a rather disturbing remark recently. It came out of their mouth like this: “I’m 73 years old and I hurt everywhere. Why should I take a bunch of vitamins or choke down nutritional drinks? I’m just getting closer to dying each day anyway.”
I always wonder if a person saying such things is just having a bad day. Alas, my sense is this person always been a kind of “glass half empty” type. Still, the discussion got me thinking about happiness and aging. Can you really be happy as you age?
In April's issue of the American Sociological Review a gigantic, long-duration study that is indicating old age is actually - wait, get this - the happiest time of life. The good news is that with age comes happiness," said study author Yang Yang, a University of Chicago sociologist. "Life gets better in one's perception as one ages."
The research centered on asking a diverse group of people questions about overall life contentment. The study’s findings were based on data gathered in 28,000 face-to-face interviews conducted between 1972 and 2004 with folks ranging in age from 18 to 88.
The data was collected by the General Social Survey (GSS) of the National Opinion Research Center. Social scientists consider the information gathered by the GSS, which is located at the University of Chicago, to be quite important. Participants were asked about their overall happiness levels. Not surprisingly, overall happiness went up and down over a person’s life and corresponded appropriately with good and bad economic times.
Some interesting research findings:
- The odds of being happy increased 5 percent with every 10 years of age.
- 33% of Americans reported being “very happy” at age 88 (versus 24% of those aged 18 to early 20s)
- 75% of Americans 57-85 engage in one or more social activities at least once a week (socializing with neighbors, religious services, volunteering, or group meetings)
- Those in their 80s were twice as likely as those in their 50s to engage in such social activities
- Nursing home residents were not included in the study (but they also represent only 4% of Americans aged 75-84)
Now before our fair members go getting jovial on me, let me point out that another researcher, noted Duke University aging expert, Dr. Linda George, thinks the reason older folks are happier has to do with lowered expectations and acceptance of one’s lot in life.
Lowering your expectations to snatch a batch of happy may seem like a fool’s pursuit. But plenty of research suggests a lifetime of chasing “more” (whatever your version of “more” is) doesn’t work out so well. Baby boomers are the least happy according to Yang’s study. Apparently, baby boomers aren't so good at lowering their aspirations as their parents and grandparents.
"They still seem to believe that they should have it all. They're still thinking about having a retirement that's going to let them do everything they haven't done yet," said Linda George.
So what’s the takeaway? Methinks it’s this simple:
“Happiness is not having what you want. It is wanting what you have.”
I am not the first one to say this, but you can quote me on it nevertheless. ^..^ "
Guido, the Kat ... Head House Mouser for Our Health Co-op ...
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