41yo, no debt (mortgage paid off), decent savings, investments, good job, but i'm nowhere near fu money or retirement. family came during my mid-30's which has been a high point for certain, but i think from a health perspective, body's not like it used to be, gained a lot of weight, recovery from working out is taking longer, stamina is deteriorating, libido is weakening, deaths in family are becoming more commonplace.
overall i think each decade has had good and bad moments, i dont necessarily think collectively any decade has been better or worse than any other, just different types of good (and bad) and different experiences.
having a family has been a blessing for sure so perhaps that's one of the reasons why the results are such.
one thing i do think about, more often than i'd like, is when i get to a certain age where health has declined significantly, teeth have all fallen out, cartilage in all joints have worn out or thinned to the point where it hurts to walk, taste buds have recessed, risk of a heart attack or stroke increases, aside from having grandkids, quality of life has gone down the drain, i wonder if it's still worth it, somewhat morbis, and probably wont know until you get there.
i think the point is to enjoy the ride to eternity, every decade is a blessing so take the good with the bad
I’m not sure this aligns exactly with what you’re saying but it reminded me of a bit of wisdom I received from someone a fair bit older than myself who seemed quite relaxed, happy, had just bought a house in my small hometown to turn into a B&B—generally pleased with life and a pleasure to talk to.
Me, being quite younger than I am now, and seeing most accomplishments in life as being quite uphill from where I was, asked:
“Does it ever get any easier?”
30s here, I spend teen and early adult years in various forms of anxieties culminating in a super crap decade. Considering that path, I extrapolated that life will be, at best, constantly shitty if I work to stay afloat.
But it's not. To a point I do feel like a 14 year old kid these days. And at times.. I even have flashes of child like happiness. Before when I used to remember good times, it would either feel like good+old or nostalgic+old. But what I'm talking about is more like good+present.. just like when I was a child. Some burst of careless and strong inspiration. It doesn't last more than a minute, but knowing that your mind can still have these feels like newfound oxygen.
I'm not sure happiness is the thing to think about. It's meaning that's important. Happiness is a sort of evolutionary trickery to help your savannah-dwelling ancestors. Meaning is something they'd have almost no perspective on, given what's happened in between.
For me I've gotten to this stage where I feel like it's a long way between things that are entirely new.
Personally I've seen deaths, illnesses, births, weddings, divorces. Lots of all of them, from near and far.
Professionally, I've been a junior guy and a senior guy. A founder, individual contributor, a leader, a follower. Seen businesses go well, and go under. Been hired and fired, hired and fired others.
In terms of observations about the world, I'm by no means an expert on everything, but whenever something comes up I can more or less place it. I know roughly what X is, and how other people see it. I no longer get that "holy crap, I never knew tax optimization employed so many people". Or "that declarative languages stuff, it's more important than I first realized".
Same with social, economic, and political stuff. I'm not surprised to run into one or another observance anymore. And I've heard the arguments before. Sometimes better made, but the same stuff.
Science and math seem to still have that potential, so I'm gonna mine that. Things like NNs still throw up new things, even if they can be glued to a long history of thought. And observations about physics can still fascinate, though in little pieces.
I'm thinking cybersecurity next as somewhere to dig as well.
Do you speak any other languages / have you learned a 2nd language as an adult?
Pretty interesting how simply viewing the world through an ever so slightly different verbal lens can have interesting impacts on perspective. albeit mostly only little things. But as you alluded to, it's mostly only the little things that might catch you off guard anymore.
40+er here. I feel similarly. I wouldn't say I'm happier but I definitely worry a lot less about saying "no" and BS in general.
What's weird to me is that I never felt that transition happen. It just seems to have occurred over the last few years. A younger me had a real hard time saying no, now it's easy and liberating! I can't tell if it's an age thing or something else though.
This is hands down my favorite change as I've gotten older. I just don't worry about so many things that I used to, and find that it's easier to focus on a few things that really matter to me.
Granted I have far more responsibility than when I was in my 20's, so I think it it's basically a wash there, but at least I'm not stressing about things that seemed really important over a decade ago.
I am in my 50s and also have stopped to worry about stuff. I also don't worry anymore about things "I should achieve". It hasn't happened until now so it probably ain't gonna happen ever. It's a thin line to walk though. I see people who don't ever seem to be be content, keep chasing things that they most likely won't achieve and are very frustrated with this. My body is also not getting any better so I have accepted that I shouldn't try stuff I did in my 20s.
To me it's a source of content and acceptance but depending on your personality it can go the other way.
I still have things I want to do but if they don't happen I am OK with that.
Agreed, I think in your 20s and 30s you’re generally driven to find your place in the world - career, marriage, parenting. By our 40s, most of us have found at least some of that, care less about the rest and are able to have a better perspective. Maybe not happier in the sense of elation, but more content, more aware of what you do have, and more ok with not being the superbeing you thought you needed to be to be happy.
What helps me is the idea of having a fixed amount of “worries”, which you received at birth. At the beginning you have plenty and you spent your “worries” on all the things.
And later you realize you just have this amount of “worries” left. So you better spend them wisely. ;)
Around 40 you realize that you'll die relatively soon, so a lot of things come into perspective and stop worry you. Yolo attitude helps to live happier.
I'm not going to try for an answer here, but I will mention an important confounding factor in studies like these: increasing resistance to peer pressure. I find that older people are better able to resist the "work until you drop" or "keep up with the Joneses" messages that society gives us. We're a bit more careful about avoiding things that drag us down and seeking/developing things that pull us up. Not all, of course. Some are surely worse off in all of these ways than any kid fresh out of college. But on average I think older people are better at maintaining their sense of well-being, independently of whether their actual circumstances are better or worse.
In Germany I've seen several women first-hand start to become unhappy in their 60's and 70's because they now have to deal with their retired husband full-time.
German men, in my experience, tend to get quite obstinate in their old age, and more quick to challenge things they view as incorrect than they would in their youth. This turns into constant harassment for some wives.
In ex-USSR you need to account for a drastic change of world that 40+ years old had to live through, complete change of world views and moral, loss of social and financial security, and all other horrors of transition period. Very few people got out of it feeling better. As old people die and younger generations replace them I presume that the graph will start to look more and more like the other countries.
US vs Western Europe: worse work-life balance, bigger families with more kids at an earlier age, more stay-at-home moms. Eventually the kids grow up, one or both of the parents advance in the career and happiness goes up. On the other hand, Europeans look for kids at an age where they already feel financially stable.
I think it’s what I call the “trough of disallusionment”.
For women in the US at least, your late 20s / early 30s are spent grappling with the reality that the job market is still grossly unfair. Women get fewer opportunities, lower pay and less power. It’s fucking depressing because there is still retaliation for speaking up — any women in power got there by propagating the status quo, and they’re honestly more likely to retaliate. I also suspect part of the increase in happiness is due to the number of women who extricate themselves from such situations and find happiness and satisfaction elsewhere.
I suspect Europe simply pushes the “trough of disallusionment” out further. Sure, there are stronger protections in the workplace, but they only really protect the people at the bottom. As you grow older, the burdens just accumulate.
I'm 31, have a son and a second one on the way. Happiness is a very bad term to describe quality of life for me, as I feel happy often especially around my family and friends.
On the flip-side the pressures of my financial situation (ok paying job with stock options, involuntary stay-at-home-partner, living in an expensive german city by job requirement, no savings and some debt because of multiple failed startups in my 20s), job responsibility and ambitions (being a good dad while trying to achieve notable success business-wise) have me constantly worrying and doubting myself lately.
I hope in my 40s I've managed to reduce these pressures by either having achieved the success I was looking for or having accepted my position in life so I can live without the constant anxiety of my dreams slowly withering in front of my eyes and solely focus on the things that are enjoyable in the present. With this in mind I can absolutely see my 40s being more enjoyable then my 20s and 30s, either way.
"Among both males and females, the study found that people aged 40 and older are more likely to take antidepressants than younger people."
"The study also found that women are two and a half times more likely to take antidepressant medication as males, while 23 percent of women ages 40 to 59 take antidepressants, more than in any other age or sex group."
The Economist article includes wide-ranging information on the relationship between age and happiness in various parts of the world. The information you've provided addresses a small portion of that (the percentage of the population on anti-depressants as they age).
A population can be both more happy with age and (as a percentage) on more anti-depressants. Some potential explanations:
1. As we age, we have greater access to healthcare (money/quality employment/government), so those needing anti-depressants are able to get them more regularly
2. Even with access to healthcare, there may be greater willingness to make changes in life and confront unhappiness as we age
3. Perhaps those who age are happier overall because they're on anti-depressants. The Economist article doesn't address this possibility.
I feel like the flaw in your argument may be that increased anti-depressant usage among older adults indicates increased depression as a person ages. That doesn't take into account other factors that might cause anti-depressant usage to rise with age.
It could be that the antidepressants are working. Or it could be that people over 40 have had enough time to accept that they have an issue that needs treatment. Or it could be that this subset of unhappy people is real but other trends outweigh it.
That the prevalence of a chronic illness increases with age is completely unsurprising. The fact that depression is (incorrectly) thought to be the opposite of happiness is a coincidence. I'm not sure that people get happier with age, but I am sure that depression statistics cannot disprove it (within reasonable bounds. Obviously it would if it turned out everyone over 40 were clinically depressed.)
39 and definitely agree. 20th, 30 - living in a poor country, settling in US, small kids, uncertainty.
39 - Silicon Valley salary, comfortable savings, six digits kids college account. Fun job, lots of respect for OSS contributions, great food, biking, fitness, luxury car. On top of that - coming home every day to kids who agree to play any online game I want! Main source of anxiety - aging parents living in a far-away country...
Keep in mind that this is a survey of people of each age living during the 2010s. Not a graph of how each generation's happiness has changed as they aged.
The graph in the US looks like "oh I hit 66, now I can retire, yay!".
Just taking a guess here but if you happened to be 25 with enough money to retire for life, you would have an even higher happiness rating since you achieved financial independence with your whole life ahead of you.
I'm almost done with my 30s and I don't feel that much different than my 20s. If anything I cared less about things as a teenager. As you get older you tend to have more things to think and worry about.
42 years old here and I think so far my best years were in my mid 30s when I was old enough to put things into perspective, financially more relaxed, autonomous, still healthy and willing to change or contribute positively to this world, still wanting to explore.
But for me, health issues started to appear in my late 30s and also I felt reaching 40 years old that my energy is depleted. Also I am actually less relaxed especially working in IT because I am starting to feel like a dinosaur (I still do software development). It might sound pessimistic but I think my best years are behind me.
I felt the same way in my early 40s. That feeling passed though and in hindsight doesn't really seem to have had much real substance.
I switched to a plant based diet a few years ago and that feels like it rewound the clock physically about ten years. It takes a bit of effort but the payoff has been massive.
Self-reported? Asking questions sure is cheaper than doing fMRI scans, but cultural differences might result in significantly higher noise, making different generations’ and countries’ results uncomparable.
I'm not sure I got happier, but I'm definitely differently happy, and probably happier in a more sustainable way.
I'm financially healthier, my job is better, I'm physically in MUCH better shape at 49 than I was at 40 (like, 60 pounds lighter?), and have a better sense of myself.
54 here. Empty nester with a stable personal and work life. I feel happy most times, a bit of envy when I see younger folks. Borderline financially stable going into retirement. If I stay healthy for the next decade and keep working I will be OK financially.. not yet there. Mortgage 70% paid off.
I feel 'mature' and at peace, now, and sometimes kick myself for not getting into that state at a younger age.
I still enjoy fulltime-coding, no carpal tunnels yet..30 years at the keyboard. (thanks to a mouse/windows/apple aversion). Sometimes I think I've 'failed' in a positive sort of way, by not being aggressive and going into corporate management. Other times, I wonder why am I still coding, my friends all seem to be managing (but cursing their jobs at the same time).
I especially feel good when I see myself as being reasonably healthy and active. Like others, I am getting to accept and look past the things I won't achieve. Strangely, many things (both technical/conceptual and life-related) seem easily grasped, the more I relax and slow down.
Married, 2 teenager kids, all in excellent physical and mental health, extended family and friends, no mortgage, good savings, own a profitable company, running a small offshoot startup, Angel co-invest in a handful of startups, chair a veteran support charity, and still serve in the military in a limited specialist capacity.
Beyond my family, I tend to swap around with the above with 1-2 of the above list “deep” and the rest of the list “shallow” in terms of my time/attention.
So my life is like my kindle reading list and podcast queue, overflowing and growing faster than I can ever possibly consume it.
Whack-a-mole comes to mind.
But I’m smiling while I’m playing this chaotic game I created for myself.
Happiness is in my life, but so is melancholy.
I’ve climbed some mountains(literally and figuratively), regretfully abandoned a few peaks, but remain focused on the mountains yet to climb while I am still able.
I view happiness as the pursuit of it, journey towards it, and the memorable idiosyncrasies of life discovered along the way, rather than the temporary arrival at a destination called happiness.
Turning 40 this year with my first kid expected on my birthday. I've progressively become "happier" with each decade (maybe half decade, actually). That's not solely because of this supposed wisdom that comes with age, but much more because I put a lot of time and effort into myself. The flip side of aging is that a lot of my friends never outgrew "bad habits" from younger years and now they are stuck with them. A lot of drinking, quite a bit of pill use, and a lack of purpose outside of work/hanging out/consuming entertainment. I also see older folks fall into the trappings of tying their "happiness" to things that can be purchased, which of course isn't actually happiness.
In the US at least those who are retired now won the jackpot historically. Those born in the 40s and 50s experienced the greatest increase in personal wealth ever. Of those born in the late 1940s, 90% eventually made more money than their parents at a given age. Of those born in the early 1980s, only 50% have achieved that. I'm actually somewhat surprised that happiness is as high among the youth as it is. I can chalk that up to good health and ignorance about their financial futures. A lot of happiness gets "pulled forward" from future happiness, financially.
[+] [-] epynonymous|7 years ago|reply
overall i think each decade has had good and bad moments, i dont necessarily think collectively any decade has been better or worse than any other, just different types of good (and bad) and different experiences.
having a family has been a blessing for sure so perhaps that's one of the reasons why the results are such.
one thing i do think about, more often than i'd like, is when i get to a certain age where health has declined significantly, teeth have all fallen out, cartilage in all joints have worn out or thinned to the point where it hurts to walk, taste buds have recessed, risk of a heart attack or stroke increases, aside from having grandkids, quality of life has gone down the drain, i wonder if it's still worth it, somewhat morbis, and probably wont know until you get there.
i think the point is to enjoy the ride to eternity, every decade is a blessing so take the good with the bad
[+] [-] 52-6F-62|7 years ago|reply
Me, being quite younger than I am now, and seeing most accomplishments in life as being quite uphill from where I was, asked: “Does it ever get any easier?”
She said, “No, but it gets a lot better”
[+] [-] isoprophlex|7 years ago|reply
I'm 32 and my body is already sore all the time. already i miss my body at 21.
not my mind, I'm a lot more mentally stable now. but body deteriorating is a big stressor to me...
[+] [-] cageface|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] caprese|7 years ago|reply
....because you would have had them 10-15 years sooner.
Just an observation of the study
[+] [-] agumonkey|7 years ago|reply
But it's not. To a point I do feel like a 14 year old kid these days. And at times.. I even have flashes of child like happiness. Before when I used to remember good times, it would either feel like good+old or nostalgic+old. But what I'm talking about is more like good+present.. just like when I was a child. Some burst of careless and strong inspiration. It doesn't last more than a minute, but knowing that your mind can still have these feels like newfound oxygen.
[+] [-] RankingMember|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] lordnacho|7 years ago|reply
I'm not sure happiness is the thing to think about. It's meaning that's important. Happiness is a sort of evolutionary trickery to help your savannah-dwelling ancestors. Meaning is something they'd have almost no perspective on, given what's happened in between.
For me I've gotten to this stage where I feel like it's a long way between things that are entirely new.
Personally I've seen deaths, illnesses, births, weddings, divorces. Lots of all of them, from near and far.
Professionally, I've been a junior guy and a senior guy. A founder, individual contributor, a leader, a follower. Seen businesses go well, and go under. Been hired and fired, hired and fired others.
In terms of observations about the world, I'm by no means an expert on everything, but whenever something comes up I can more or less place it. I know roughly what X is, and how other people see it. I no longer get that "holy crap, I never knew tax optimization employed so many people". Or "that declarative languages stuff, it's more important than I first realized".
Same with social, economic, and political stuff. I'm not surprised to run into one or another observance anymore. And I've heard the arguments before. Sometimes better made, but the same stuff.
Science and math seem to still have that potential, so I'm gonna mine that. Things like NNs still throw up new things, even if they can be glued to a long history of thought. And observations about physics can still fascinate, though in little pieces.
I'm thinking cybersecurity next as somewhere to dig as well.
[+] [-] swiley|7 years ago|reply
To me personally chemistry seems like a field that's till really young and there is all kinds of room for amateurs to still make discoveries.
[+] [-] brational|7 years ago|reply
Pretty interesting how simply viewing the world through an ever so slightly different verbal lens can have interesting impacts on perspective. albeit mostly only little things. But as you alluded to, it's mostly only the little things that might catch you off guard anymore.
[+] [-] arandr0x|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sridca|7 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] pstuart|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ok_coo|7 years ago|reply
What's weird to me is that I never felt that transition happen. It just seems to have occurred over the last few years. A younger me had a real hard time saying no, now it's easy and liberating! I can't tell if it's an age thing or something else though.
[+] [-] larrymyers|7 years ago|reply
Granted I have far more responsibility than when I was in my 20's, so I think it it's basically a wash there, but at least I'm not stressing about things that seemed really important over a decade ago.
[+] [-] maxxxxx|7 years ago|reply
To me it's a source of content and acceptance but depending on your personality it can go the other way.
I still have things I want to do but if they don't happen I am OK with that.
[+] [-] airwalk225|7 years ago|reply
That combined with being able to sift through the shit storm that life throws at you, for the ideals you want and ignoring the rest, helps a lot.
[+] [-] moneil971|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] weitzj|7 years ago|reply
And later you realize you just have this amount of “worries” left. So you better spend them wisely. ;)
[+] [-] unknown|7 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] vl|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] notacoward|7 years ago|reply
I'm not going to try for an answer here, but I will mention an important confounding factor in studies like these: increasing resistance to peer pressure. I find that older people are better able to resist the "work until you drop" or "keep up with the Joneses" messages that society gives us. We're a bit more careful about avoiding things that drag us down and seeking/developing things that pull us up. Not all, of course. Some are surely worse off in all of these ways than any kid fresh out of college. But on average I think older people are better at maintaining their sense of well-being, independently of whether their actual circumstances are better or worse.
[+] [-] chriselles|7 years ago|reply
Former USSR component States are just......horrific.
The literature of the culture is not very happy ending-ish.
Interesting to see happiness in US females, a very solid and consistent lifelong upward trend after bottoming out in the late 20’s, early 30’s.
Vast difference from Western European women, almost a mirror opposite.
Western European men are almost a lifelong flatline.
I wonder why that is?
From some reason I’m left with a random thought along the lines of “egalitarianism of happiness” for Western European males.
[+] [-] cheschire|7 years ago|reply
German men, in my experience, tend to get quite obstinate in their old age, and more quick to challenge things they view as incorrect than they would in their youth. This turns into constant harassment for some wives.
[+] [-] ivanhoe|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] PhasmaFelis|7 years ago|reply
I know India is still developing, but I wouldn't have thought it was that bad.
[+] [-] bluetomcat|7 years ago|reply
US vs Western Europe: worse work-life balance, bigger families with more kids at an earlier age, more stay-at-home moms. Eventually the kids grow up, one or both of the parents advance in the career and happiness goes up. On the other hand, Europeans look for kids at an age where they already feel financially stable.
[+] [-] exelius|7 years ago|reply
For women in the US at least, your late 20s / early 30s are spent grappling with the reality that the job market is still grossly unfair. Women get fewer opportunities, lower pay and less power. It’s fucking depressing because there is still retaliation for speaking up — any women in power got there by propagating the status quo, and they’re honestly more likely to retaliate. I also suspect part of the increase in happiness is due to the number of women who extricate themselves from such situations and find happiness and satisfaction elsewhere.
I suspect Europe simply pushes the “trough of disallusionment” out further. Sure, there are stronger protections in the workplace, but they only really protect the people at the bottom. As you grow older, the burdens just accumulate.
[+] [-] Roritharr|7 years ago|reply
On the flip-side the pressures of my financial situation (ok paying job with stock options, involuntary stay-at-home-partner, living in an expensive german city by job requirement, no savings and some debt because of multiple failed startups in my 20s), job responsibility and ambitions (being a good dad while trying to achieve notable success business-wise) have me constantly worrying and doubting myself lately.
I hope in my 40s I've managed to reduce these pressures by either having achieved the success I was looking for or having accepted my position in life so I can live without the constant anxiety of my dreams slowly withering in front of my eyes and solely focus on the things that are enjoyable in the present. With this in mind I can absolutely see my 40s being more enjoyable then my 20s and 30s, either way.
[+] [-] narrator|7 years ago|reply
https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi...
"Among both males and females, the study found that people aged 40 and older are more likely to take antidepressants than younger people."
"The study also found that women are two and a half times more likely to take antidepressant medication as males, while 23 percent of women ages 40 to 59 take antidepressants, more than in any other age or sex group."
https://psychcentral.com/news/2011/10/25/antidepressant-use-...
[+] [-] pyronite|7 years ago|reply
A population can be both more happy with age and (as a percentage) on more anti-depressants. Some potential explanations:
1. As we age, we have greater access to healthcare (money/quality employment/government), so those needing anti-depressants are able to get them more regularly
2. Even with access to healthcare, there may be greater willingness to make changes in life and confront unhappiness as we age
3. Perhaps those who age are happier overall because they're on anti-depressants. The Economist article doesn't address this possibility.
I feel like the flaw in your argument may be that increased anti-depressant usage among older adults indicates increased depression as a person ages. That doesn't take into account other factors that might cause anti-depressant usage to rise with age.
[+] [-] adrianmonk|7 years ago|reply
It could be that the antidepressants are working. Or it could be that people over 40 have had enough time to accept that they have an issue that needs treatment. Or it could be that this subset of unhappy people is real but other trends outweigh it.
[+] [-] solveit|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] euos|7 years ago|reply
39 - Silicon Valley salary, comfortable savings, six digits kids college account. Fun job, lots of respect for OSS contributions, great food, biking, fitness, luxury car. On top of that - coming home every day to kids who agree to play any online game I want! Main source of anxiety - aging parents living in a far-away country...
[+] [-] bluetomcat|7 years ago|reply
- lands a stable engineering job in a new factory in a small town right out of university
- housing not an issue, a big apartment close to the factory is provided by the enterprise
- has two kids with free health and child-care (zero street crime, drug usage unheard of)
- the authorities help mom find a job as a teacher in close proximity
- no fancy food, cars or clothing, but still, no big shortages, either
[+] [-] eecsninja|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Ericson2314|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nickjj|7 years ago|reply
Just taking a guess here but if you happened to be 25 with enough money to retire for life, you would have an even higher happiness rating since you achieved financial independence with your whole life ahead of you.
I'm almost done with my 30s and I don't feel that much different than my 20s. If anything I cared less about things as a teenager. As you get older you tend to have more things to think and worry about.
[+] [-] tenaciousDaniel|7 years ago|reply
1. I make a lot more money now so I'm financially stable
2. I've transitioned to a career that is rewarding
3. I don't have as many existential fears/anxieties
4. I have the drive and discipline to do what I need to do
Not everyone experiences these, and I'd imagine that without them, my 30's would be far worse than my 20's.
[+] [-] bengalister|7 years ago|reply
But for me, health issues started to appear in my late 30s and also I felt reaching 40 years old that my energy is depleted. Also I am actually less relaxed especially working in IT because I am starting to feel like a dinosaur (I still do software development). It might sound pessimistic but I think my best years are behind me.
[+] [-] cageface|7 years ago|reply
I switched to a plant based diet a few years ago and that feels like it rewound the clock physically about ten years. It takes a bit of effort but the payoff has been massive.
[+] [-] 05|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gph|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ubermonkey|7 years ago|reply
I'm financially healthier, my job is better, I'm physically in MUCH better shape at 49 than I was at 40 (like, 60 pounds lighter?), and have a better sense of myself.
[+] [-] jeevest|7 years ago|reply
I feel 'mature' and at peace, now, and sometimes kick myself for not getting into that state at a younger age.
I still enjoy fulltime-coding, no carpal tunnels yet..30 years at the keyboard. (thanks to a mouse/windows/apple aversion). Sometimes I think I've 'failed' in a positive sort of way, by not being aggressive and going into corporate management. Other times, I wonder why am I still coding, my friends all seem to be managing (but cursing their jobs at the same time).
I especially feel good when I see myself as being reasonably healthy and active. Like others, I am getting to accept and look past the things I won't achieve. Strangely, many things (both technical/conceptual and life-related) seem easily grasped, the more I relax and slow down.
[+] [-] chriselles|7 years ago|reply
Married, 2 teenager kids, all in excellent physical and mental health, extended family and friends, no mortgage, good savings, own a profitable company, running a small offshoot startup, Angel co-invest in a handful of startups, chair a veteran support charity, and still serve in the military in a limited specialist capacity.
Beyond my family, I tend to swap around with the above with 1-2 of the above list “deep” and the rest of the list “shallow” in terms of my time/attention.
So my life is like my kindle reading list and podcast queue, overflowing and growing faster than I can ever possibly consume it.
Whack-a-mole comes to mind.
But I’m smiling while I’m playing this chaotic game I created for myself.
Happiness is in my life, but so is melancholy.
I’ve climbed some mountains(literally and figuratively), regretfully abandoned a few peaks, but remain focused on the mountains yet to climb while I am still able.
I view happiness as the pursuit of it, journey towards it, and the memorable idiosyncrasies of life discovered along the way, rather than the temporary arrival at a destination called happiness.
So journey over destination.
[+] [-] MetricT|7 years ago|reply
Live is easy before 40. It gets hard quick after that. :-/
[+] [-] seppin|7 years ago|reply
30's it gets serious, 40's hard.
[+] [-] DisruptiveDave|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jackcosgrove|7 years ago|reply