Right?
At this age people are at their most unhappy
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Life consists of ups and downs. According to a study, people are supposed to be the unhappiest when they are old – how come?
People strive to be happy and content. But if we were always happy, we would probably stop appreciating happiness at some point. As with so many things, it’s all about balance – and in life there are not only ups, but also downs.
Unfortunately, it is the latter that usually keep us busy for longer and in which people can lose themselves. Because the moment we’re unhappy, we feel further from our goals than ever before. There are two things that can help us with this. On the one hand, the platitude is true that after every valley there is an upward trend – that’s the way things go. On the other hand, we are not alone with our emotions.
Especially when we’re wallowing in our unhappiness completely alone again, it’s very helpful to know that we’re absolutely not out of line – even if it might feel the same way at the moment. In fact, people are very similar and migrate through the same valleys in the course of their lives.
Researchers have now taken a closer look at the up and down phenomenon and examined when people are actually most unhappy.
The midlife crisis and the pinnacle of misery
For the study, which was published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, researchers examined the data of a total of 14 million people from 40 European countries, the USA and 168 countries of the Gallup World Pool. Tada: Regardless of external influences, a specific age crystallized in which the luck of many (at least felt) began to falter. The peak of unhappiness was 49 years.
As people got older, they said they were less happy. The result supports the common thesis of the midlife crisis, which we all have to go through to a greater or lesser extent.
We have our (un)happiness in our own hands
But before you bury your head in the sand about the impending tragedy – if you’re not yet 49 – we have good news for you. It gets better. Yes, really. According to the study, once people have passed the magical 49, they become happier.
In the study, the researchers also name possible reasons why things are going uphill again. According to this, people should then recognize that they are chasing unrealistic goals and concentrate on the here and now again. At the same time, in old age one would appreciate many things that for a long time seemed to be taken for granted – such as health.
Sounds reasonable. And above all helpful. Because if we already know the countermeasures, we can take countermeasures – and take our luck into our own hands.
Sources used: Psychology Today, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization