Until a few years ago, it was believed that personal satisfaction reached its peak at the age of 40 and then began to decline. Once a person turns 18, his or her level of satisfaction does not stop growing until the fourth decade of life, but at this age, one goes from being in his or her twenties or thirties to being in his or her forties and then in his or her fifties, sixties, etc. Thus, people become aware of the inexorable passage of time and, consequently, of their aging. Up to that point, the satisfaction and productivity curve had always been upward, but since then, it was believed that it was beginning to fall irremediably.
As a result, when they reach the age of forty, many people react with a flight to youth. They begin to wear youthful clothes again, try risky hairstyles, undergo cosmetic operations in order to improve their appearance and often establish relationships with younger partners or divorce to form a new “rejuvenating” couple. This reaction, directly related to narcissism and immaturity, occurs more frequently in men, forcing women to have a bad time, although after this period, they tend to reach a higher degree of well-being than they had previously.
The 50s, the new 18?
Contrary to popular belief, however, recent research by the Gallup agency has shown that after the age of 50 there is a new stability that quite often translates into an increase in the productivity curve, thus overturning the theory that maturity directly implies the decline of the human being.
Thus, once a person reaches the age of fifty, he or she reaches true maturity and knows what he or she wants, has more experience and has greater emotional stability. This inflection of the 50s reaches its peak at age 85, an age at which the degree of personal satisfaction exceeds that of the 18-year-olds. The fact is that aging makes people adopt a more positive outlook on life, changing personal goals, and making people more reflective and conciliatory in the face of conflicts.
For any consultation, contact a Psychiatrist.