Sunday, July 05, 2009

Most Old People Find Their Lives Turned Out Better Than They Expected

The Pew Research Center has produced a fine study of aging. It has several fascinating comparisons of what young people think makes you old with what older people think makes you old.

The line that stood out to me, though, is the Gruntled Finding of the Week:

Nearly half (45%) of adults ages 75 and older say their life has turned out better than they expected, while just 5% say it has turned out worse


Among all older adults, happiness varies very little by age, gender or race.

3 comments:

TallCoolOne said...

Mightn't this be a sterling example of the domestication of dissent in America post-WWII? All that money and media manipulation made for a complacent -- if not exactly contented -- population.

Max said...

I agree. For me, The older I have become the less mistakes I make, therefore the better my life gets. I'm 52. I'm a handyman in Dallas and life is getting better as I get older, I would admit if I were just complacent.

ceemac said...

Folks currently 75+ are mostly going to be "Silents" using Strauss/Howe terms.

Wonder what the response will be if the question is asked of "Boomers" when they/we are 75+