According to a new study from the University of Chicago, Americans grow happier as they grow older.
So that’s good news for people who are aging - which is, you know, all of us. But at the same time, I can’t help but be skeptical. How does this study hold up against cliches which are deeply entrenched in our society? For example: your college, or high school, or corresponding youthful years are the best years of your life; old people are either crotchety or curmudgeonly; and of course, the whole thing with being “Over the Hill.”
The study relies on data from General Social Survey of the National Opinion Research Center, which has been asking questions about contentment since 1972. The question I would ask would be, how likely are you to be honest about your personal contentment? It seems to me that asking about happiness is a bit like asking about weight - and far less measurable. You can’t get happiness on the scale.
The author also found that white people are happier than black people, men are not as happy as women, and that baby boomers come in last in the happiness race between generations.
Speaking from experience, I have gotten happier as I’ve gotten older. But I’ve always expected that this curve will level off at some point, and not soar me to some mind-blowing of peak happiness in my 70s. And it wouldn’t surprise me if men and black people are more honest about their life contentment than white women. As far as the baby boomers go, if this lack of happiness keeps up, we’re going to have a whole lot of curmudgeons filling up the retirement communities in a few years.
But somehow I doubt that. So what do you think? Have you gotten happier?
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