The study draws on data from more than 3,900 people interviewed. The researchers, led by Jan Delhey of the Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, sought to find out which lifestyle was associated with the greatest life satisfaction.
Four models were compared: prosperous life, exciting life, peaceful life and sustainable life.
At 20, a life full of experiences seems to have an advantage
There exciting life corresponds to an existence rich in pleasures, beautiful experiences and stimulation: trips, concerts, outings, leisure activities or new activities.
Overall, it is strongly associated with life satisfaction. But the effect is even more marked among young adults.
Among the 18-29 years oldit is indeed the exciting life that is associated with the highest level of satisfaction. Among 18-39 year olds, excitement also seems to outpace the search for tranquility.
This result, however, is not a condemnation of routine. Because as the years pass, the cursor seems to move.
After 65, calm takes over
There peaceful lifeor “cozy”, corresponds to an existence characterized by inner balance, well-being and less exposure to stress.
And this way of living becomes particularly important with age. Among the 65 years and overa peaceful life is associated with more satisfaction than other models.
Above all, the study reveals that there is no single recipe for happiness. Researchers note a positive association between life satisfaction and prosperous, exciting or peaceful lifewith generally comparable levels.
Sustainable living, focused on respecting nature and the environment, also has a positive, but less strong, association.
The real trap: wanting a life you’re not living
Perhaps one of the most interesting lessons from this study lies elsewhere. It’s not just the type of life that matters, but the gap between what we want and what we actually manage to live.
A person who constantly dreams of adventure but cannot carve out time to travel or go out may end up feeling more frustrated. Conversely, someone who primarily craves calm may find more satisfaction in a simple, stable life.
The average satisfaction of the participants was 2.68 out of 4or about 67% of the maximum possible.
“There is more than one way to live a happy life!”summary Psychology Today.
So, do you have to choose between adventure and tranquility?
Not necessarily. Rather, the results suggest that
happiness can take many pathsand that the best balance probably evolves over life.
At 25, having more experiences can nourish the feeling of having a rich life. At age 65, preserving your energy, relationships and balance may become more important.
The researchers’ conclusion is ultimately quite liberating: it is not necessary to chase a spectacular existence to be happy. A comfortable, exciting, or prosperous life can provide comparable satisfaction, provided it actually corresponds to the way one wants to live.
In other words, the question may not just be: “Which life makes you happiest? But rather: “What life really resembles me today?