Science Can Tell You What Age You’ll Be Happiest

We devote a lot of time and effort into the idea of happiness. Much of positive psychology and of philosophy is in search of what makes us happy and how to lead lives full of it. And yet, even with all of this work, we still live in ways that harm us and leave feeling anything but good.

Is it even possible? A life filled with happiness and where all the negatives are just afterthoughts? Frederich Nietzsche said that “What does not destroy me makes me stronger.” Nietzsche was strong on the thought that in order to experience great happiness, we must also experience great pain, you cannot have one without the other.

Now we’re finally shedding some scientific light light on the equation, as an article on Huffington Post describes how we’re more happy at different ages:

According to Happify, an app that focuses on people enhancing their happiness through exercise and games, at age 18 people are actually quite happy. However, that dips in the middle years with 53 being the lowest point of happiness. Then once again, happiness increases as you approach 60 (huge gap, right?). But wait, that’s not it! From then on, happiness continues to rise until 85 (the oldest age studied).

Interesting, but if that’s not very actionable, then consider this:

We’re thinking it’s good news that happiness rises as you age because it was also found that those who stay positive live 7.5 years longer. (Looks like the “grumpy old person” stereotype just isn’t true!)

Right, so, happiness?has it’s good years and it’s bad, but if you stay positive and try to find more good than bad, you’ll likely live longer as a result! Count me in. Check out the rest of the post for more insightful and happiness inducing information.