Why This New Study On Happiness Is Wrong

If you want to be happier, you might want to ignore this new study–or at least see the holes in it. Here’s what it says:

“A new study suggests you won’t be as happy as you are now for about another four decades. Australian researchers say happiness follows a predictable trajectory as we age, with the highest levels of happiness reported from age 15-24 and over 75.”

Then the study gives us more bad news:

“Satisfaction over life decreases from the early 20s, plateaus for about 40 years and then increases from about 65 up,”

Then we’re give “good news” that’s not so good:

“But there is good news for those in the unhappiest phase of life, getting older means getting happier.”

What?! You mean I have to wait and wait and wait to have more happiness?

The reasons the study gives for why happiiness takes a plunge in life are two main things:

1) When couples have children, their lives become more hectic and challenging.

2) When most people enter their thirties, the importance they give to having more “things” increases. In other words, people want a “higher standard of living” when it comes to the house they live in, cars they drive and so on.

This study isn’t very optimistic about happiness and it’s also meaningless when it comes to your own happiness.

That’s because statistics describe large groups of people but they don’t dictate your fate.

When it comes to happiness, you’re in control of it at any stage of your life.

If you believe your happiness is determined more by your circumstances, rethink that.

Some people are unhappy in the best of circumstances and some people are happy (and learning to be happier) in the worst of circumstances.

Happiness is a skill. It’s something to be learned and practiced.

That’s something you can do at any age and in any circumstance. Have you read a book lately to increase your understanding of happiness and boost your happiness skills?

Here are two of the best:

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

Seven Secrets to Enlightened Happiness: Your Guide to the Life You Were Meant to LIve by Alan Allard

What do you think? All comments and questions are welcomed.

(Source of the study cited: http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2015/10/02/happiest-before-age-30/)

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