Patricia Pereira-Sethi
Scientists are constantly exploring the mysteries of longevity in an effort to identify what constitutes the perfect age: when man is at his peak, when man reaches his absolute best and why. They analyse the impact of stress levels at different stages of our lives; they factor in the years filled with fun and carefree moments, as well as the latter period of inevitable physical decline — in the hope that they might determine the time-frame within which we achieve full satisfaction and complete happiness.
Some of their findings are surprising indeed. Researchers have concluded that many folk in their 50s do not want to return to their 30s. And those in their 70s appear to be far more content than most, because they have both the economic stability and the free time to do whatever they wish to – at last. Simultaneously, no one wants to look or feel old, which is why anti-aging creams fly off store-shelves and seniors shy away from revealing their precise age, contending that age cannot be reduced to a number. It is instead a particular feeling that radiates and uplifts, they say, no matter the year stamped on a birth certificate.
The question then arises: is there a specific age that is better than all the rest?
While some analysts conclude that it is impossible to establish this because of the many variables involved (which could encompass everything from a boring career to winning the million-dollar lottery, or an untimely death in the family), others do not. Global Cleveland, a non-profit development group, defines the perfect age as “the exact moment when you realise how absolutely short life is and how completely lucky you are to be alive.” According to Arthur Stone, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California, 70 is a good choice when it comes to psychological well-being and life fulfilment. In a 2015 study, Stone found that worry follows us from ages 20 to 50. That is probably due to the customary anxieties during those years about money, marriage, job security and children. Such concerns begin to diminish when we crack the half-century mark. A gradual feeling of confidence settles in, tracking an upward trajectory to the age of 70, when people become less anxious and are still healthy. “People accept who they are at this stage and decide consciously to make the best of the years left in their lives,” he contends.
Satisfaction is tied intrinsically to gratification, and cross-sectional studies comparing adults in different age groups indicate that happiness is highest in late adolescence or early adulthood. Vitality, good health, an array of friends and a crammed social scene, all work towards this end. Longitudinal research, on the other hand, suggests that happiness is greatest in seniors. One study, using longitudinal data from an American research project, found that the upbeat mode was relatively stable across adults in their mid-20s to late 30s; it declined during the 40s; then pinnacled in the 60s. All of which points to the fact that those proclaiming that 60 is actually the new 40 could well be on target. Empirical evidence certainly corroborates such a thesis: the average age of a Nobel Prize winner is 62. The average age of a CEO in a Fortune 500 company is 63. The average age of Popes is 76. Happiness and well-being, however, spirals downwards among those over 80, with researchers indicating that personal circumstances such as poor health, living alone and feelings of isolation encourage the plunge. Women tend to be generally more content than men. Good health and an enviable employment status generate self-esteem, which in turn promotes happiness.
Researchers have also identified specific ages when we are at our zenith with regard to certain accomplishments. Here are some of the findings.
Learning a second language is easiest when we are 7 or 8.
Men consider 23-year-old women most attractive. And man’s predilection for women in their 20s remains consistently robust throughout their lives. Women are more attracted to older men.
Life satisfaction first crests at 23. It peaks again at 69. Psychological well-being diminishes drastically at 82.
Strength climaxes at age 25. Muscles are at their strongest at 25, although they can be maintained for nearly 15 years with resistance exercises. The average elite marathoner is 28. According to one 50-year analysis of marathons, the average age to complete the race in two hours was 28. Bone mass peaks at about 30: high calcium and vitamin D intakes will keep bones healthier much longer; but eventually they will start to weaken.
The best possible age to settle down is 26, since we have been exposed to enough people by then to have a wide swath of choices before us. Divorce rates are lowest for couples who marry between the ages of 28 and 32.
The high point of a chess player is approximately 31. On an average, Nobel Prize winners make their big discovery at 40. And even if one is not in line to win a Nobel, the concept still holds for other major achievements in life: people tend to do their most outstanding work during middle age.
Women’s salaries usually max at about 39, men’s at 48.
Arithmetic skills culminate at 50; vocabulary in the late 60s or early 70s.
People are most likely to make critical decisions when their age ends in a 9. “Nine-enders”, as they are labelled, are over-represented in groups of people ready to have an affair, to radically alter their profession, or enter a marathon for the first time.
Men and women feel best about their bodies after 70. Women can multitask well into their 70s and a sudden spurt of mental energy and emotional stability is evident during that period.
Individuals do get wiser as they grow older. The oldest group studied – people between 60 and 80 – did better than those of other ages on almost every level.
Interesting perspectives indeed. Each one of us can now figure out our perfect groove!!