Most people reach peak for being miserable around age 47, study suggests

Fox News ^ | 01/16/2020 | By Jack Durschlag | Fox News

[Responsibility2nd]

The dreaded midlife crisis may come about because it coincides with life’s peak time for misery, a study released this week says, according to a report.

That peak time would be around age 47, Dartmouth College professor and former Bank of England policy maker David Blanchflower claims in a study, after examining trends in 132 countries to compare the relationship between well-being and age.

 

A typical individual’s well-being reaches its minimum point – on both sides of the Atlantic and for both males and females – in midlife, Blanchflower wrote in his report for the National Bureau of Economic Research.

In order to better understand age’s relationship to happiness, Branchflower undertook the study using prior surveys of self-reported well-being, the report said. In those reports, the results generally argue happiness across a lifetime is either relatively flat or slightly increasing with age.

To achieve a better understanding between happiness and aging, Blanchflower looked at data from 500,000 randomly sampled Americans and West Europeans.

[Bonemaker]

Thanks for the elucidation. I’ve been married for 58 years.

[yetidog]

I think there is some truth to this article; at least in my case there is. From about age 42 to 47, I became increasing angry, drank too much and smoked like a chimney. I think most of it had to do with introspection, what could have been and being trapped by the security of what many would think a “good job.” I was able to retire at 48 with a small pension, health insurance coverage and some capacity for a second career. I did reduce my consumption of self-destruction, found a great second career at 49 and here at 79, feel it is possible I would not be here if I had not left behind where I was at 47.

[Jamestown1630]

Well! You should have told us that - instead of leaving the impression that you wanted a nympho but wound up with something unreasonable and icy :-)

[Grampa Dave]

Enjoy your retirement.

You have a great family and you served our country.

If you can afford it, don’t do anything real work wise for a few months. Get to know yourself and your family and what you like to do.

Fortunately, good companies and private businesses know the value that a man like you brings to their business.

[SkyDancer]

Thanks for the uplift to my self esteem. :)

[right way right]

What a load of BS....

[Jamestown1630]

Could you expound further?

[right way right]

Simple, I’m 56, 47 was better.

[vpintheak]

Woo-hoo! Nearly at peak misery! It’s all up from here!

[MichiganCheese]

I’ve never been miserable but I am deplorable.

[MichiganCheese]

I’ve never been miserable but I am deplorable.

[anton]

I think age 47 was about my best year.

[Jamestown1630]

In what way was 47 ‘better’?

[deadrock]

It can be said that a state of happiness can be universal(eg. give everyone everything they want), but everyone has their own corner and level of misery.

[right way right]

Yer nosy.

[Rebelbase]

I was miserable at age 34. Then I got divorced and things got much better.

[Jamestown1630]

Well, I didn't ask you to stick yourself out here and make a statement.

But you did; and I AM a curious person. Being very curious is another way to Stay Young :-)

"The Cure for Boredom Is Curiosity. There Is No Cure for Curiosity"

-variously attributed to Dorothy Parker or Ellen Parr

[right way right]

I’m sure you are a nice person.

[Jamestown1630]

I guess it depends upon what you consider ‘nice’.

[Reagan80]

Thank you; kind words always help!