There's no universal pattern of happiness as different social conditions across countries contribute to different outcomes, says a researcher.
LEICESTER, England: On average, happiness declines as we approach middle age, bottoming out in our 40s but then picking back up as we head into retirement, according to a number of studies. This so-called U-shaped curve of happiness is reassuring but, unfortunately, probably not true.
This decline is steeper in countries with a less effective welfare state. That’s especially true of Turkey, where happiness falls on average from 6.4 at retirement age to less than 5.0 among the very old. In short, there’s no universal pattern of happiness. Instead, there’s a wide range of patterns across different countries. It shouldn’t be terribly surprising that different social conditions contribute to different outcomes.The U-shaped idea is appealing in part because it’s counter-intuitive: Sure, life gets harder in old age, but even so, people get happier.
That’s what the statistical adjustment gives us: A result that assumes nothing goes wrong in old age. But many people do face big challenges as they get older, and it’s not surprising if they then don’t feel terrifically happy.
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