We talk a lot about the mid-life crisis, much less about the moment when performance really starts to decline. For Professor Arthur C. Brooks, a happiness specialist, top athletes reach their peak around age 27, doctors at the end of their thirties and finance professionals during their thirties, so that highly skilled professions generally peak between the end of the 30s and the beginning of the 50s. Enough to feed the fear of becoming “less good”, even though true happiness after 50 does not follow this curve at all.
Arthur C. Brooks describes the second half of life as a possible time of calm, chosen relationships and meaning, where happiness is no longer measured solely by professional success. The challenge becomes to seek great pleasures in both directions: to do good to yourself, to your body, at your own pace, and at the same time nourish the pleasure of giving, of transmitting, of supporting. This shift requires a bit of inner re-education, but it opens up a huge playground for those who are over 50.
Happiness after 50: what’s happening in your brain
The works cited by Arthur C. Brooks, notably in his book
From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Lifedistinguish between a fluid intelligence, rapid and oriented towards innovation, and a crystallized intelligence, made of memory, vocabulary and wisdom. The first peaks early then declines, the second continues to progress with age. Striving to remain the fastest employee in the department later is exhausting, whereas becoming the person who connects, synthesizes, and teaches is a much better fit with what your brain still knows how to develop.
After 50, pleasures focused on yourself and others
On the personal side, the pleasure of receiving can mean listening to fatigue rather than denying it, walking a little each day, taking care of your sleep, rediscovering a forgotten creative hobby. As for others, the pleasure of giving comes through a call to an isolated loved one, a helping hand to a neighbor, volunteering, passing on knowledge. These simple gestures support self-esteem as much as they consolidate bonds, two pillars of happiness after 50.
Internet and social connections, discreet support after 50
A study published in the journal Natural Human Behavior
showed that, among those over 50, regular use of the Internet was accompanied by fewer depressive symptoms and better life satisfaction. Used to train online, keep in touch with loved ones or volunteer your skills, digital technology becomes a medium for shared pleasures, which nourishes both social bonds and a feeling of usefulness.