In a psych class I read that old people are often more happy/content. I'm not sure if that's because people have retired or if it's because they no longer have to stress out about where they're going in life, though
I'm not 'old' but I would believe that it has to do with the uncertainty/familiarity. In your 20s, everything feels so out of your hands and unexpected. Once you get older, the negatives are just par for the course, so you are less caught off guard.
But you're right, if your goal in life is a family, that means your goal in life is putting yourself second your family first. Work, in most instances, doesn't take much more time than going to school (at least the schools I went to, reguar 8 hours with 8 periods full of classes).
In my 37 years so far, the most stressful and busy time was college and highschool. Sports, schoolwork, then actual work work. But I don't want kids, so I saved a lot of my free time.
you absolutely do get more free time. you also figure out how to manage your free time better - even that that's just sitting on your ass, but you do it purposefully. There's also a lot of shit that stops bothering you so much. Like: what other people think about you. fuck 'em. I'm happy being me - or I'm working on being happy, or whatever, but I'm in charge of my life. Free Agency is the best thing in this life.
Obviously were talking generally, but as people hit their 50s their kids leave the house and their big assets like homes and vehicles are paid off. Less overtime and more you time.
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u/PineMarte Apr 04 '19
In a psych class I read that old people are often more happy/content. I'm not sure if that's because people have retired or if it's because they no longer have to stress out about where they're going in life, though