[HN Gopher] The U-bend of life: Why, beyond middle age, people g...
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       The U-bend of life: Why, beyond middle age, people get happier as
       they get older
        
       Author : ianrahman
       Score  : 26 points
       Date   : 2023-08-12 12:25 UTC (10 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.economist.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.economist.com)
        
       | archo wrote:
       | https://archive.is/KUano
        
       | ldx1024 wrote:
       | I would say a big reason for the U-bend in many cases is that as
       | you get deeper into middle age you can actually see retirement on
       | the horizon, and then eventually you get there and aren't
       | shackled by a job.
        
       | euroderf wrote:
       | In that later part of the curve, you've made your bed and now you
       | lie in it. So relax - it's not going to fly you to the moon.
        
       | falcor84 wrote:
       | (2010)
        
       | crickey wrote:
       | Survivor bias, those who are happy enough not to off themselves
       | in one given way or another will scew the statistics
        
         | lapcat wrote:
         | The suicide rate is not that high. Fewer than 50k last year in
         | the US, an all-time high, from a population of 330M.
         | 
         | https://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/cdc-data-finds-...
        
           | theGnuMe wrote:
           | I suggest you take a second look at that article you
           | reference. They haven't calculated the rate for this year so
           | you have no evidence for your claim.
           | 
           | Straight from the article:
           | 
           | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which posted
           | the numbers, has not yet calculated a suicide rate for the
           | year, but available data suggests suicides are more common in
           | the U.S. than at any time since the dawn of World War II.
        
             | lapcat wrote:
             | I suggest you take a second look at that article:
             | 
             | > Last year, according to the new data, the number jumped
             | by more than 1,000, to 49,449 -- about a 3% increase vs.
             | the year before. The provisional data comes from U.S. death
             | certificates and is considered almost complete, but it may
             | change slightly as death information is reviewed in the
             | months ahead.
             | 
             | The CDC hasn't calculated an _exact final_ rate yet, but we
             | already know the suicides are approximately 50k and that
             | the US population is approximately 30M, so yes, I have a
             | lot of evidence for my claim.
             | 
             | The data may change "slightly". You're making a mountain
             | out of a molehill with the conceit that the rate may
             | somehow magically become huge when the data is all counted.
        
         | mensetmanusman wrote:
         | It's more a radius of curvature effect. People are born with
         | sharp personalities and views on how the world should be.
         | 
         | Eventually, you run up against the weathering affects of
         | reality, your sharp edges smooth to a gentler polish, and you
         | become far more stable and content.
        
           | pg_1234 wrote:
           | Actually people are born with no expectations.
           | 
           | They are raised to believe in "one right way".
           | 
           | Over time they learn it is just one of many, and much of the
           | "value system" they were raised on is bullshit.
           | 
           | If they move past this, they can focus on enjoying the rest
           | of their lives.
        
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       (page generated 2023-08-12 23:02 UTC)