I was listening to the radio with the morning java and the host referred to grumpy old people who are unhappy and have nothing better to do with their lives than keep their noses in someone else’s business. This is not incongruent with the stereotype, but I read an article last week that a recent study showed that does not appear to be valid.
Older people are happier, especially the male of the species. Maybe we fret less about aging. Basically, the elderly have learned what doesn’t matter and is of no concern, and enjoy more of what they should.
Another recent study at the University of Virginia revealed that happiness doesn’t correlate with age. For the most part, people with a negative affect (anxious, depressed or neurotic) are the unhappy ones, regardless of age. It supported the other study in that the elderly shifted values and gained emotional regulation and improved relationships.
For example, poor health was thought to be a possible factor among the elderly. Older people who stewed about that were unhappy. Those who viewed their situations as better than things could be retained a positive outlook. Negative affect is a strong predictor of life satisfaction.
What about cognitive function? That must be broken down into two segments. The fluid type is reasoning, abstraction, making inferences, etc., or what you might call the ability to think. Crystallized is what you have learned, memorized or experienced.
Neither type had any impact on the relative happiness of the elderly. However, lower fluid intelligence did correlate with unhappiness among middle and lower age test subjects. Researchers theorized that sharper thinkers enjoyed greater success on the job and in other endeavors, generating higher levels of life satisfaction.
Social relations are the strongest predictors of well-being. People who retired to places where they had better social networks were happier than those who gave priority to culture and recreation.
Grumpy old men? They think not. Or, not all. They conclude that the most important determinant is attitude. If you’re positive and around positive people, chances are you’ll be among the happy ones. “Good health and an active mind are nice, but if you’re depressed, anxious or neurotic all the time, you’re just simply not going to enjoy their benefits.”
Sounds like a good reason to party.
2 comments:
This could spark an interesting debate along the lines of Wayne Dyer's assertion that we can choose our emotions. I like Dyer in general, but he's wrong about that. I mention it because your post sounds generally in tune with that. I could be misinterpreting though, and I think it's ok for people to disagree.
We cannot choose our emotions, but we can choose how we deal with our emotions. God gave us both intellect and emotions. Each serves a specific purpose. If we could choose our emotions with our intellect, there would be no point in having emotions - it would be just another intellectual process. If we allowed our emotions to control our intellect... well, you can imagine the problems THAT could cause. So they are separate and distinct processes - for good reason.
I don't believe that an anxious or depressed person can CHOOSE not to be anxious or depressed. They CAN choose how they handle it, e.g. sit on the couch eating bon-bons and become a recluse, OR they can choose to try to fight it in whatever way is effective for them - outdoor pursuits, creativity, etc.
I do agree that it's important to try to maintain a positive outlook, cultivate a spirit of gratitude, and to interact with positive people as much as possible. I'm glad you are enjoying your life. Keep up the good work.
The answer is the use of the term "emotional regulation," so I don't agree with Dyer about the ability to choose. Rational people have the ability to recognize emotion and the cause, and manage the situation if appropriate.
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