Last month, the cover of the Economist Magazine shrieked “The Joy of Growing Old (or why life begins at 46).” Needless to say, this caught Life in the Boomer Lane’s eye, while she was in the drugstore looking for nighttime panty liners. She bought the magazine, in spite of the actual article being titled “The U-Bend of Life.” She knows about U-bends. They are the pipes under the sink that after awhile turn into a scientific experiment to show that human hair, when allowed to sit in a dark, wet place long enough, will become a breeding ground for life forms that eventually evolve into the beings on V.
It was the sub title that got LBL to shell out her hard earned cash. It was “Why, beyond middle age, people get happier as they get older.” LBL is a great example of someone being happier as they age. This is because she has totally forgotten anything bad that anyone has ever done to her. If she runs into someone she hasn’t seen in a long time, she will smile and hug them. They might have stolen her boyfriend in high school or run her over in their car a week ago, but she doesn’t remember any of that.
Now for the article. LBL will condense it because you have more important things to do than read her blog, even though she is well aware that there is absolutely nothing in your life that is more important than this. You just don’t know it. OK, she digresses. Back to the article:
When people start out in adult life, they are, on average, pretty cheerful. Things go downhill from youth to middle age until they reach a nadir commonly known as the mid-life crisis. But, as people move toward old age, they gain what people spend their lives pursuing: happiness. Bhutan has taken the lead on this, where the concept of Gross National Happiness shapes public policy. LBL is not making this up. France considers GNH, and Britain is starting to collect data on it. This gives statisticians more interesting things to think about than money or employment or the sudden rise in baby girls being named Snookie.
After spending a lot of money and a lot of research hours on GNH, the conclusion is that neurotic people tend to be unhappy. This was confirmed over and over by LBL’s entire family. Her Aunt Gert, who is 89 and in perfect health, when asked how she is doing, will always respond “I’m depressed.” Extroverts, on the other hand, are happy. Since part of LBL’s family consisted of neurotic extroverts, she guesses that brought them to neutral on the GNH scale.
Now for age. Seventy year olds are happier than thirty year olds. The least happy people are late 40s into just over 50. Forty-six is the nadir. Note to all 46 years olds who are reading this: Try to relax, take a lot of deep breaths, make no decisions, don’t leave home, and wait it out. If you have teenagers at home, none of this will work.
One reason for older people being happier is that unhappy people die earlier, (or if they are extremely neurotic and making everyone crazy, are shot by some family member at Thanksgiving.)
Older people are less excitable (This could be due to pacemakers), less prone to aggression (It takes a lot of effort to punch someone in the nose), and are better at negotiating (If you have raised a bunch of children and survived, you get pretty good at this).
Whatever the reasons, and LBL is sure there will be billions of dollars earmarked for more research on this, you can look forward to happy, serene, and slightly medicated years beyond 50. LBL’s life at 63 is pretty darn perfect. It would be totally perfect if someone came up with a panty liner to fit the shape of Hanky Pankys, so there is always hope.
Kathryn McCullough
January 14, 2011
Too cute! I’m 48 and pretty damn happy–I’m fully expecting euphoria by age 70. Might that be in the cards? And Gross National Happiness–how in God’s name to they measure it?
Happy in Haiti (and middle-aged),
Kathy
lifeintheboomerlane
January 14, 2011
Thanks, Kathy. I find the notion of GNH to be fascinating and hilarious. Gives these scientists and statisticians something to do.
Tori Nelson
January 14, 2011
Haha! This post made me happy! I think the consideration of the public’s overall happiness is a genius way to form policies!
lifeintheboomerlane
January 14, 2011
Would that it were really true, I’d be thrilled. If they were serious about it, they have to deal with pesky issues like poverty and violence. That would make a lot of people happier.
Carl D'Agostino
January 14, 2011
At 61 I think it is unfortunate that people under 50 don’t know what my generation knows all all the wonderful and yes evil and unfortunate things that my generation experienced to make us who we are. We also had a unique attachment to the generation of our parents esp WW 2 and Depression and the music they enjoyed. . Another reason for thought is that I am not interested in anything this generation knows or thinks is meaningful.
lifeintheboomerlane
January 14, 2011
I don’t know if that has anything to do with our particular generation being happy, but you do have a point about the “unfortunate things” we lived through. I’ve often said that our parents’ generation went throught the depression and then fought a global war. We experienced Vietnam in a quasi-immediate sense. Few of us actually fought in the war, but all of us were impacted. My children’s generation has never been confronted with any kind of hardship or upheaval like that. Whatever your definition of “happiness” is, experiences like that make you stronger and more grateful for what you have.
writerwoman61
January 14, 2011
Gee…I didn’t know I was supposed to be miserable…oops! Maybe it’s because I live near Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada’s happiest city in 2007?
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2007/12/27/happiness-atlantic.html
I am a little jealous that I can’t afford that fancy underwear though…
Funny post, Renée!
Wendy
lifeintheboomerlane
January 14, 2011
New Brunswick is Canada’s happiest city? Wow. Thanks, Wendy. I mean for the “funny,” not for your not being able to afford the fancy underwear. Confession here: I have to wear a jumbo x-treme support, minimizer bra which is so ugly, I can’t believe it. I should write an entire post about this, but no one would read it. Anyway, I must counter this bra situation with pretty panties for my emotional well-being. My health insurance company should reimburse me.
writerwoman61
January 14, 2011
“Saint John” was the happiest city in Canada in 2007 (New Brunswick is our province). Another NB city I used to live in, Moncton, was ranked #4 in this survey…
I have to wear one of those industrial strength bras too…keeps me from tripping!
Wendy
lifeintheboomerlane
January 14, 2011
Oh I am so bad. I realized what I wrote after I hit “Send.” By the way, we went to a dinner party the other evening and one of the topics of conversation was Canada. Amazing facts!!!
Marion Driessen
January 14, 2011
Think my head will burst with being happy at 60 then, since now I’m 47 and already very happy with my life the way it is right now haha. Thanks for the post, had fun reading it and the comments! 😀
lifeintheboomerlane
January 14, 2011
Thanks, Marion. Yikes, here you are 47 and happy. We must notify the researchers immediately. But I do agree, the years after 50 are the best, so you will, indeed, be deliriously happy.
Hippie Cahier
January 14, 2011
Fascinating! For now, I love the term Gross National Happiness. When everyone is using it all the time, I’m probably not going to like it as much.
I will always remember that I heard it here first!
lifeintheboomerlane
January 14, 2011
Hey thanks, Hippie. Happy to serve.
sunshineinlondon
January 15, 2011
I heard on the news here last month that the government was going to measure happiness. How on earth will they do that, and especially here in Britain where no-one admits to being happy even if they are!
I’m glad to know, according to the theory, that at my age my happiness will only go up – yay!
Sunshine xx
lifeintheboomerlane
January 15, 2011
It will be interesting to see what they come up with. It’s also interesting that, as world problems seem to get more and more challenging, governments are concerned more about people being happy.
jannatwrites
January 15, 2011
I found your blog from a comment you left on mine.
I enjoyed the humor of your post and I’m encouraged that happiness doesn’t have to fade with age. (I won’t let it!) I like your writing.
lifeintheboomerlane
January 15, 2011
Thanks for reading, Jannat. Yes, my friends and I have written two books for women over 50. We all agree this is the best time in our lives.
Allison
January 16, 2011
Great post! The research on neurotic people reminded me of the following Abraham Lincoln quote: “Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” Incidentally, I think Lincoln suffered from chronic depression.
lifeintheboomerlane
January 16, 2011
That’s a great quote, made especially interesting coming from someone who suffered from depression. Sort of leads one to believe that Lincoln thought his depression was self-induced.
sbrayne
February 2, 2011
Quite agree about ageing and happiness. Now fast approaching 60, I certainly am, and so were most of the folk I interviewed for my book on sex, meaning and the menopause.
lifeintheboomerlane
February 2, 2011
Thanks for reading, and many congrats on the book. I’ll look forward to seeing it in print. A great topic.