为什么我们老了会更快乐

为什么我们老了会更快乐

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蜡烛越多，你的生活就越幸福。这就是所谓的“变老悖论”——许多事情本应随着年龄的增长而恶化，但老年人通常对整体幸福感更强。

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.

最近的一项研究发现了一条“幸福曲线”——在47.2岁时，事情会变糟，人们在生活中最不幸福。但好消息是，情况通常会从那时开始好转。

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.

研究人员继续寻找快乐感随年龄增长的原因。在此前的一项研究中，研究人员调查了1500多名年龄在21岁至99岁之间的圣地亚哥居民，发现20多岁的人压力最大，情绪最低落，而90多岁的人最满足。

The study was published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

这项研究发表在《临床精神病学杂志》上。

We become more trusting

我们变得更加信任他人

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.

美国西北大学和布法罗大学的研究人员进行的两项大规模研究发现，随着年龄的增长，人们也会变得更加信任他人。这种信任可以使他们幸福。

"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.

“我们的新发现表明，信任会随着年龄的增长而增加，而且，信任程度越高的人，幸福感也会随着时间的推移而增加。”西北大学社会政策教授、该研究的作者之一Claudia Haase在一份声明中说。

Our bodies and wallets are healthier

我们的身体和钱包更健康

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.

根据2015年盖洛普-健康之路对全美173,656人的调查，55岁以上的人由于各种原因，总体幸福感更好。

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.

他们拥有更高的财务幸福感，55岁以上的人有52%称自己过得很好，而55岁以下的美国人有32%过得很好。与55岁以下的人相比，他们更容易获得医疗保健。与年轻一代相比，他们抽的烟更少，吃的新鲜农产品更多。64岁之后，抑郁和肥胖的水平也会下降。

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.

当你年轻的时候，你经常会寻找一些特别的事情来给你带来快乐。那是你坠入爱河的时候，也许是组建家庭、旅行和做许多令人兴奋的事情的时候。布朗大学的研究人员发现，虽然年轻人倾向于寻找这些更令人难忘的冒险经历，但老年人对普通的日常事物却很满意。

“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.

纽约州立大学石溪分校市场营销学助理教授彼得·卡普里洛在接受《纽约时报》采访时表示:“这正是你所期望的，这种强调是在你的时间开始变得有限时，品味你已经拥有的东西。”

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会让你开心;没有必要等到下一个充满异域风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."

研究人员在《消费者研究杂志》上写道:“当人们在生活中决定如何度过下一个小时、周末或假期时，谚语和流行文化常常提醒他们要明智地利用时间，因为他们的日子不多了。”