At what age do we feel the most happiness? The answer may surprise you
The continuation of happiness is a universal quest. Many of us believe that daily life is as good as its moments of happiness – and these moments are the fuel that makes us move forward, day after day. Happiness, it seems, is an essential ingredient to live a good life.
Unfortunately, many of us believe that happiness is elusive or ephemeral. Or, worse, that our happiest days are already behind us, never to come back again. However, recent research shows that most people are experiencing a regular increase in happiness as they age. Research has also revealed that there is even a specific era of our life when we feel the happiest and most confident. Not only are the results surprising, they are also encouraging.
At what age do we feel the happiest?
To answer this question, a team of German and Swiss researchers conducted a study involving more than 460,000 participants from different countries and cultures. “We focused on the evolution of three essential components of subjective well -being – satisfaction with regard to life, positive emotional states and negative emotional states,” explains Susanne Bücker, first author of the study.
After analyzing the results, the researchers discovered that there was a certain age when people are the happiest: 70. They also found that happiness through the lifespan exists on a spectrum of valleys and peaks over time: satisfaction with regard to life decreases between 96 years (the oldest age recorded in the study).
“Overall, the study shows a positive trend during a major period of life, if we consider the satisfaction of life and negative emotional states,” explains Bücker, who notes that at the age of 70, most people are less concerned with career and material questions and have more time for themselves and their loved ones. In addition, these wiser septuagenarians believe that the most difficult and most stressful experiences in life are behind them, while a feeling of accomplishment helps reduce daily anxiety.
Happiness is a prosecution for life
That said, not all scientists agree on the specific age to which we feel the happiest. For the London School of Economics, 23 is the age at which happiness is at its peak, because young people are often the most optimistic and the most confident about the future. According to Harvard researchers, the age of 35 is the happiest, because it is at this point that most of us are starting to stabilize our lives, to reach professional heights and have stronger social ties, all contribute to our feeling of total accomplishment.
