![]() ![]() The data on life satisfaction is consistent with earlier research specific to work. The curve is gentle but significant: The average contentment gap between age 20 and about 45 is comparable to the drop in life satisfaction associated with being fired or getting a divorce. And it persists when we correct for other variables, such as parenthood. The pattern is robust around the world, affecting both men and women. In 2008 the economists David Blanchflower and Andrew Oswald found that self-reported life satisfaction takes the form of a gently curving U, beginning high in youth, bottoming out in our mid-40s, and then recovering as we get older. An abundance of recent research confirms that middle age is, on average, the most difficult time of life. You may have heard the same from mentors or peers. When I shared my plight with friends, they responded with jokes, but also with similar stories of burnout, stasis, and regret in the midst of what seemed like success. ![]() I quickly discovered that I was not alone. ![]()
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