為什么我們老了會更快樂

為什么我們老了會更快樂

It seems that the more candles you blow out on your cake, the happier your life can be. It's known as the paradox of aging — so many things supposedly worsen with age, yet older people often have a better sense of overall well-being.

似乎你在蛋糕上吹的蠟燭越多，你的生活就越幸福。這就是所謂的“變老悖論”——許多事情本應隨著年齡的增長而惡化，但老年人通常對整體幸福感更強。

Everyday activities make people a lot happier as they get older. (Photo: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock)

A recent study found a "happiness curve" — at age 47.2 things bottom out and people are the most unhappy in life. But the good news is that things typically get better from there.

最近的一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)了一條“幸福曲線”——在47.2歲時，事情會變糟，人們在生活中最不幸福。但好消息是，情況通常會從那時開始好轉(zhuǎn)。

Researchers continue to find explanations for the reasoning behind why happiness seems to increase with age. In an earlier study, researchers surveyed more than 1,500 San Diego residents between the ages of 21 and 99, and found that those in their 20s were the most stressed out and depressed, while those in their 90s were the most content.

研究人員繼續(xù)尋找快樂感隨年齡增長的原因。在此前的一項研究中，研究人員調(diào)查了1500多名年齡在21歲至99歲之間的圣地亞哥居民，發(fā)現(xiàn)20多歲的人壓力最大，情緒最低落，而90多歲的人最滿足。

The study was published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

這項研究發(fā)表在《臨床精神病學雜志》上。

We become more trusting

我們變得更加信任他人

People become more trusting as they age and that leads to more happiness. (Photo: lammotos/Shutterstock)

Two large-scale studies by researchers at Northwestern University and the University at Buffalo found that as people get older, they also get more trusting. And that trust can benefit their well-being.

美國西北大學和布法羅大學的研究人員進行的兩項大規(guī)模研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，隨著年齡的增長，人們也會變得更加信任他人。這種信任可以使他們幸福。

"Our new findings show that trust increases as people get older and, moreover, that people who trust more are also more likely to experience increases in happiness over time.” Claudia Haase, a professor of social policy at Northwestern and one of the study's authors, said in a statement.

“我們的新發(fā)現(xiàn)表明，信任會隨著年齡的增長而增加，而且，信任程度越高的人，幸福感也會隨著時間的推移而增加。”西北大學社會政策教授、該研究的作者之一Claudia Haase在一份聲明中說。

Our bodies and wallets are healthier

我們的身體和錢包更健康

Older people typically eat more produce than younger people, which can contribute to better well-being. (Photo: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock)

People over 55 have an overall better sense of well-being for all sorts of reasons, according to a 2015 Gallup-Healthways survey of 173,656 people across the U.S.

根據(jù)2015年蓋洛普-健康之路對全美173,656人的調(diào)查，55歲以上的人由于各種原因，總體幸福感更好。

They have higher rates of financial well-being, where 52% of people over 55 reported they were thriving, compared to 32% of Americans younger than 55. They have better access to health care, compared to those under 55. They also smoke less and eat more fresh produce than their younger counterparts. Levels of depression and obesity also drop off after age 64.

他們擁有更高的財務幸福感，55歲以上的人有52%稱自己過得很好，而55歲以下的美國人有32%過得很好。與55歲以下的人相比，他們更容易獲得醫(yī)療保健。與年輕一代相比，他們抽的煙更少，吃的新鮮農(nóng)產(chǎn)品更多。64歲之后，抑郁和肥胖的水平也會下降。

Small things matter

小事情很重要

As you age, you value everyday things like spending time together and walking the dog.. (Photo: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock)

When you're younger, you often look for extraordinary things to give you pleasure. That's when you're falling in love, maybe starting a family, traveling and doing lots of exciting things. Researchers from Brown University found that while younger people tend to seek out these more memorable adventures, older people are happy with ordinary, everyday things.

當你年輕的時候，你經(jīng)常會尋找一些特別的事情來給你帶來快樂。那是你墜入愛河的時候，也許是組建家庭、旅行和做許多令人興奮的事情的時候。布朗大學的研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，雖然年輕人傾向于尋找這些更令人難忘的冒險經(jīng)歷，但老年人對普通的日常事物卻很滿意。

“It’s just what you would expect, this emphasis on savoring what you already have when your time starts to become limited,” Peter Caprariello, assistant professor of marketing at Stony Brook University, told the New York Times.

紐約州立大學石溪分校市場營銷學助理教授彼得·卡普里洛在接受《紐約時報》采訪時表示:“這正是你所期望的，這種強調(diào)是在你的時間開始變得有限時，品味你已經(jīng)擁有的東西。”

So a cup of coffee with friends or a walk with the dog makes you happy; there's no need to wait until the next exotic vacation or gourmet dinner.

所以和朋友一起喝杯咖啡或和狗狗一起散步會讓你開心;沒有必要等到下一個充滿異域風情的假期或美食大餐。

The researchers write in the Journal of Consumer Research: "As people move through their lives deciding how to fill their next hour, weekend, or vacation, they are frequently reminded by proverbs and popular culture to spend their time wisely because their days are numbered."

研究人員在《消費者研究雜志》上寫道:“當人們在生活中決定如何度過下一個小時、周末或假期時，諺語和流行文化常常提醒他們要明智地利用時間，因為他們的日子不多了。”