A scientific study carried out in 2021 now allows us to know the age at which we are likely to achieve happiness. And it might surprise you.
At what age are we most likely to achieve happiness? You may have already asked yourself this question. If happiness is subjective, and specific to each person, a scientific study carried out in 2021 and spotted by the site Refinery29 now allows us to find out more. Please note, other studies have looked into this question, and the results differ. On the other hand, they all come to the same conclusion: the age at which we are happiest is not during childhood at all.
If happiness is not achieved during childhood, it is even necessary to wait many additional years to achieve it. To find this “perfect” age, Spanish researcher Begoña Álvarez surveyed people aged 50 and over from thirteen different European countries about the periods they consider to be the happiest in their lives. Participants answered three questions: “Looking back at your life, has there been a distinct period of time when you were happier than the rest of your life? If so, when was that period of happiness -she begins ?” and “When did this period end?”
The result might surprise you because the “peak of happiness” would be reached between the ages of 30 and 34. A period which corresponds to “the evolution of personal and family circumstances” of life, we can read. Please note, this four-year period is not set in stone, it is an average statistical trend. The conclusions of the study indicate in particular that “for half of the respondents, this period lasts two decades or more”. In addition, other studies do not give the same results at all regarding the age at which we are happiest.
In 2020, the study by Canadian neuroscientist Daniel Levitin estimates that “the ideal age to flourish” is 82 years old. “Older people are happier because as death approaches, they live more in the present moment and make less difficult decisions,” according to him. This study judges that the experience acquired over the years allows us to gain more perspective on life, and to achieve a level of serenity unimaginable when we are younger.
Finally, a team of German and Swiss researchers conducted a study with more than 460,000 participants from different countries and cultures. And the results, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin and relayed by the official website of the European Commission, are still different. Researchers estimate the age of 70 is when people are happiest. Positive emotional states would increase between the ages of 60 and 70. “Overall, the study shows a positive trend over a broad period of life, when considering life satisfaction and negative emotional states,” assures Susanne Bücker, professor at the University German Sports Association of Cologne (Germany).