DHeiser shared how she originally wanted to be a nun, but over time she decided the social science field was the best fit for her. Her children Liam and Aiden also weigh in on what their dream jobs are.
- Asiegel1202, CNN iReport producer
iReport —
A few years ago I came across a worksheet I’d completed in early elementary school – probably first grade. One of the questions asked was “what do you want to be when you grow up?”My answer was “a nun”.
Things didn’t work out exactly as I planned. I didn’t become a nun after all. Instead, I got a PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology and have worked in the field of research for many years.
When I asked my 2 boys a couple of years ago, when they were 3 and 4, what they want to be when they grow up, my older son said“ a doctor who takes care of older people”. He received a lot of praise, which fueled this goal (until this year when he turned 6 and decided to tweak his goal and become a doctor who takes care of bugs). We now have a slew of ants, beetles and caterpillars in plastic containers being “cured” of their ailments.
My younger son told everyone he also wants to be a doctor. Apparently he loved basking in the praise too. However, one day he confided to me that he in fact wants to be a Jungle Man. He didn’t want me to tell anyone because he was afraid they would think it was funny. So, he and I talked all about his becoming a Jungle Man, and during the course of our conversations, he wrote a book about it. You can find it on http://whenigrowupiwanttoliveinthejungle.wordpress.com/about/
I’m looking forward to seeing what they do when they grow up.
George Steinbrenner’s Split Personality: A Psychological Analysis
BLOGGER: JOEL WEINBERGER, PHD
As anyone who is even remotely interested in sports knows, George Steinbrenner, larger than life owner of the New York Yankees, has passed away at age 80. We are inundated with interviews of those who knew him, specials on his network YES, major newspaper articles, and even commentaries on news and talk shows. His appeal has reached well beyond the world of sports. One theme that keeps appearing is what everyone refers to as a contradiction in his personality. Mr. Steinbrenner was famously tough, impulsive, and bombastic. He would fire employees at a whim, berate them, come close to harassing them with phone calls at all hours of the day and night, demand perfection, and ruled by fear. At the same time, he was involved in many charitable causes, would help out those he had cruelly fired, and remain interested in the lives of his ex-employees. So the question became, how could he be this cruel unfeeling person and, at the same time, this caring philanthropic person. He was a walking contradiction.
This so-called paradox is more apparent than real. The same personality characteristics that led to his angry, firing behavior led to his kindly, charitable acts. In fact, Mr. Steinbrenner was completely consistent in his behavior. Before I go on, let me state my biases up front. I am a rabid Yankee fan and I loved reading about Mr. Steinbrenner. I am absorbed in watching these tributes to him and would have loved to thank him personally for bringing the Yankees back to greatness. My bottom line feeling towards him is a very positive one. I also never did meet him so this is all based on known psychological principles but not on any personal knowledge of the man.
There are three characteristics that probably explain Mr. Steinbrenner’s apparently inconsistent behavior. First, he was a passionately emotional person. Although highly intelligent and even calculating, he was often ruled by his emotions and easily emotionally aroused. Emotions came before reason for this man. Second, he was impulsive. He was a man of action and often acted without reflection. That means his actions were often emotionally based. Third, he was The Boss. He needed to be in charge and he was in charge. There was a paternalistic aspect to this. He could be a caring or an unforgiving father but he was always the father. That means the other person was always a subordinate, a son or a daughter. Now let’s put this together.
As do all of us, Mr. Steinbrenner experienced a myriad of emotions that changed powerfully over time, sometimes over short periods of time. We all love and hate the important people in our lives at different times, sometimes at the same time. Unlike many of us, he was very comfortable having these emotions so that he did not question or deny them. They ruled to the point that his behavior was often more driven by these emotions than by his rational reason. Although this is generally true of people it was especially so for Mr. Steinbrenner. He didn’t have the filters that most of us develop to consider what we should do when a thought occurs to us or an impulse to action is felt. Mr. Steinbrenner was impulsive. That meant that when an emotion hit him, he acted on it. And he often did so without thinking much about it. So when he felt angry, he acted angrily. He fired people; he berated them. When he had a question or a thought or an idea, he didn’t wait to think it through, he called the person at any hour and talked to him or her about it or he acted on it. He was impulsive. He was impulsive in what he said and impulsive in what he did. And he was comfortable being this way. This was behind his apparently uncaring and cruel actions. It was also behind some of the lame brained things he did like hire a con man to get dirt on a player. And it was behind some of his ill-considered quotes. But when Mr. Steinbrenner had a positive emotion or a charitable impulse, he acted on that too and did so just as comfortably and easily. So he rehired people. He heard of a cause that moved him and immediately acted to help that cause. He heard of an employee experiencing hard times and his feelings were stirred. He acted and reached out to help that person. As his emotions shifted and his impulses changed, he behaved differently. The behavior looked inconsistent but was always consistent with the emotion de jure. Look for emotional, not cognitive, triggers and you’ll see the consistency.
Finally, George Steinbrenner was The Boss. No matter what he did, it had to reflect his status as the father figure, as the one in charge. When he berated, or fired, or demanded an answer to something that had occurred to him in the last few minutes, or reacted to an event and offered the quotes that made the back page so often, he did so as the one in charge. He was never a supplicant, a subordinate, or even an equal. He was The Boss; the father. This was true of his kind behaviors as well. Whenever he helped someone, he did not have a back and forth. He came from on high and bestowed his largesse. He was still in charge. He offered advice; he gave help. Even when he took advice, it was from subordinates, not equals. He was always the father and he retained the right to override and to second-guess his people.
So again, how could he be cruel and caring? Because his emotions like the emotions of all of us shifted. He just acted on all of them and he did so quickly. He was impulsive. And he was comfortable with it all. How did he have the nerve to push people around, fire Yogi Berra, demand accounting from his subordinates at odd hours? He was the boss, the father running the show as he saw fit. How could the same man treat these people so well? He was the boss, the father, providing them with his largesse.
In his case, it all worked. Why? Because he was extraordinarily intelligent, he was a talented executive, and because he had the carrots people wanted as well as the sticks they feared. This style leads to mistakes and broken relationships but he was able to override those pitfalls because of his talent, charisma, and ultimately because winning was so important to him that he would back down if he saw that winning was in the offing. Winning settled all scores and forgave all transgressions. That is, whether you agree with it or not, he had a value that gave all of his actions meaning.
Joel Weinberger is Professor of Psychology at Adelphi University. He is also co-founder of Implicit Strategies. You can find out more about Joel at www.implicitstrategies.com.
Midlife begins at 40.But what does MIDLIFE really mean? Does it mean an end to youth, a beginning of a new chapter in life?Is life half over by 40, or is 40 really the new 30?The answer? It’s all true.But…that isn’t all bad.We have a lot to look forward to!For example, did you know that in their 40s, most people become more intimate?Hmmm…I’ll talk more about that in a minute…And in your 50s you are likely to become more generative?This doesn’t mean that you become more productive; it means that you become more giving of yourself, which turns out to be a good thing not just for you, but also for all of those around you.Your 60s are likely to get even better, because by this time, you are likely to experience deeper intimacy and generativity.Wow.Chances are you’ll feel more fulfilled; have stronger relationships and just feel better about life.In other words, you are moving toward the feeling of a life well lived.And isn’t that what most of us aspire to?
So, come along and find out what is in store for midlife, beginning with the 40s.
Know Thyself
·We know ourselves better than we ever have once we reach our 40s.
·We are more likely to have reached a level of “intimacy” rather than “isolation”
·We have fewer but better friends than in our 20s and 30s
Twenty years ago, most people in their 40s were in an established career, relationship or marriage, and parents of children in their teens or beyond.When someone pictured a 40 year old, it was pretty different from the nearly impossible snapshot of what life looks like for people in their 40s today.The lifestyle has changed so that today, there are lots of people in their 40s getting married for the first time, having their first child and/or starting new careers.In this way, the 40s are like the new 30s.We’ve essentially, extended our youth (and that isn’t such a bad thing).There are some in their 40s who are sending their kids off to college, enjoying more free time and maybe even pondering retirement.But there are some defining features for our 40s.For one, most people know themselves better, and thus, are more comfortable with who they are.That inner voice becomes louder and demands we pay attention!Decisions tend to be made based on who you know yourself to be rather than who we think we should be (pleasing mom, friends, significant others).
This gives the 40-somethings the ability to:
·Speak frankly and openly
·Not take things so personally
·Be less superficial
·Expect to be listened to
·Savor life
·Be more resourceful
·Appreciate what makes people different (become less judgmental)
In essence, as the great psychologist Erik Erikson wrote over a half century ago, this boils down to a stronger self-identity, making the 40-somethings more secure, independent, and able to form closer relationships with others.Being less guarded and more self-assured opens us up for better, more meaningful interactions with others.—-This is intimacy. —- So, intimacy isn’t just found between the bed sheets.It isn’t just referring to relationships with a spouse or significant other.It is the relationship we have with our children, family and friends too.In our 40s, we hope to achieve a healthy level of intimacy.The alternative to intimacy, what we are fighting to overcome, is isolation.What this really means is:
IntimacyIsolation
Retain a sense of selfNot achieving a sense of reciprocity from others
Isolation likely is due to a lack of sense of self or insecurity, making it difficult to form secure relationships with others.We can see, when people go through “blips” in life, where external forces affect our lives, that our sense of self can be “rocked” which can make a strong relationship go through an unstable or less stable period.We can also see that some people who don’t know themselves, or are insecure about themselves start to find themselves, or become more in tune with their identity, and that can create difficulties in achieving or maintaining intimacy.
So to sum up the 40s, something changes as we age.Over time, we begin to become choosier about who we want to spend our spare time with.We have confidence in ourselves and don’t need friends around to simply tell us, “wow, cute hair…great handbag…cool boyfriend” like when we were in our 20s.It isn’t about the external stuff so much anymore.For the most part, we know what looks good on us, we know what we want to buy, and how we want to present ourselves.We aren’t buying new Prada shoes because a girlfriend has a pair or a new Iphone to be important (well, maybe that is stretching it).
So, tell us, have you reached the level of Intimacy in your 40s? – Simply leave a message in the comment box and it will be posted!
There are some people in this world that approach every birthday in their later years with a sense of dread; an unwelcome, God-forsaken, doomsday event.
One of those people is my mother. Every year I try to remind her of the level of self possession and appreciation for life that she has now, that continues to grow as she gets older, and that she never had when she was young. Every year I point to her the strength, the beauty and the wisdom with which she perceives life now, that defines her day to day experience, and that only came with age. Every year, she admits I am right. My mother is an extraordinary woman with extraordinary depth, and a capacity for love and sheer delight that most people can only dream about. And yet despite her treasures; despite her sanctuary of a home and her beloved cat creatures and her rich social life and her back yard of magical forest fauna, every year, she fights me. Every year, as I implore her to remember who she is and how she inspires me, she clings to her disgust about age, insisting that I won’t understand until I reach her age.
Perhaps she is right. Except that I believe we all have, to some extent, a hand in how we experience, or respond to, the inevitabilities of life – and our emotional responses are shaped, in part, by our attitudes. And I don’t want to dread growing older. Maybe I can’t control that. Maybe there is some genetically-pre-disposed, universal experience to getting older that I’m oblivious to. Or maybe we’ve all been sold a bill of goods; an ideology so utterly devoid of virtue or any morsel of humanity – that to age is to become undesirable, impotent, irrelevant and disposable.
There it is. The elephant in the room. Well, hardly. Common attitudes about aging in North America are nothing short of pathological, and yet somehow, they make up most of the propaganda we all willingly participate in every day. My mother is one of many victims of a mass media marketing machine, peddling warped ideals of an age phobic culture. How will I fare? Will I succumb to mainstream dictum?
Not if I can help it.
Jesse Mendes is a writer, editor and journalist who is deeply committed to helping to change how older women are perceived in North America, and to dispeling the stigma around aging. Her blog can be found on the Blogroll on this web site, and on the link on her Twitter page, where she goes by the name SeptemberMay.
We are always thinking of ways in which we can lose weight, eat better, exercise more, and so on.
How often do we think outside of that box? Here are some ideas for making our lives and the planet healthier!
1.Change the Way You Eat
Idea #1 – Make it a point to sit down with friends and family for at least three meals per week.
With the change in schedules and the availability of fast food, our society has moved far away from the relaxing social meals of the past.When eating with friends and family, we eat slower because we are talking and enjoying the conversation.Not only will we feel better physically but we will be filled much more emotionally.
Unfortunately it is not only our country that is compromising the way we eat.In John Robbins book, Healthy at 100 he notes the following:
“In almost every culture in the world, eating dinner together has been a place for families tostrengthen bonds.The French in particular have long cherished mealtime as a family ritual, so much so that children have traditionally not been allowed to open the refrigerator between meals.But the days of sitting for hours around the table savoring small portions of several courses and relishing each other’s company seem to have passed.Instead, it has become commonplace for the French to eat in front of their television sets, while talking on the telephone, and even alone.As McDonald’s has become more popular in France than anywhere else in Europe, the average French meal, which twenty-five years ago lasted 88 minutes, has been reduced to only 38 minutes today.”
Idea #2 – Stop eating in the car, in front of the television, or standing at the counter.
Our digestive system is not meant to adapt under any of these circumstances!When we sit down, relax, focus on our food, and breathe, our bodies are prepared to produce the appropriate amount of digestive enzymes and we get the most benefit (nutrients) out of our food.Part of the reason we overeat is due to these unconscious methods of eating.We hardly chew our food and inhale it at such a rate that our brains have yet received signals that we are actually full.Consequently we overeat and feel bloated and gain weight.The crazy part about the whole process is we have no idea just how much this type of eating has compromised our health.
If this is you, maybe one of your resolutions is to make the time to sit down, relax, and take afew deep breaths before taking your first bite.Appreciate the amazing fact that food is our lifeline to health.Enjoy it fully.
Although this has sounded crazy to most people that know me, even if I am alone at home for dinner, I actually prepare a delicious nutritious meal, pour a nice glass of wine, set the table, light a candle or two and really enjoy the time of eating a wonderful meal in a relaxed setting.I am sure this sounds off the charts for many of you but I encourage you to try it once or twice.It is a great experience!
Idea #3 – Learn about Slow Food
Slow Food is a movement that counters fast food.It is about creating a way of eating and living that associates the pleasure of food with community and the environment.There are many Slow Food movements throughout the world.Here a some sites to learn more: http://slowfoodcu.wordpress.com/about/
Idea #1 – Stay out of the middle of the grocery store!
The most natural and healthy foods are found around the periphery of the store.You will find the most nutritious and least processed foods in this area.Not only is the food more processed as you wander down the aisles but can be more expensive.Plus the amount of packaging adds to the increase in waste products in our landfills.
Idea #2 – Take a list and Do NOT go when you are hungry!
I realize that neither of these ideas are new yet can save you a lot of money and keep you on a healthier track of food.Think about what you would like to make and jot down the ingredients you need.Make it an intention to get only those ingredients.Of course if you see some great sale on fruit or vegetables you might want to get extra while you are there.The main thing you want to avoid is picking up that junk snack food that you know isn’t good for you and yet is so tempting when you are hungry and just mindlessly wandering the aisles of the store.
Idea #3 – Change one/two buying habits into healthier choices.
Although eating organic and antibiotic free meats can be expensive, in the long run it is cheaper than eating a bunch of junk and ending up sick!Besides, by watching for specials in the produce, meat and fish section of the stores, you can find deals that are worth the purchase.For example, not too long ago the Whole Foods in Boulder had grass fed ground beef on sale at an amazingly cheap price.Now I don’t often eat ground beef but at that price it was worth purchasing it and keeping it in my freezer for that unexpected time I might want to make something with it.
The same goes for produce.Although you can’t necessarily store it, there are certain foods that I (now) only buy organic.The reason being is that certain plants are sprayed much more with pesticides and the produce absorbs more of it.Two examples are strawberries and spinach.I only buy these if they’re organic!
So start with one or two things that (you feel) are easy to change in your diet.Maybe it is organic produce or antibiotic free chicken, whatever it is, it will have a positive impact on your overall health over time.
3.Become a Part-Time or Full-Time Locavore!
What is that you ask?The term Locavore started in the San Francisco area not too many years ago.The premise was to encourage people to only purchase food that has been grown within a 100 mile radius of where you live.
Eating local foods is a great step towards saving our planet and increasing our health.When you purchase food that is grown within 100 miles of home, you are helping the environment.It requires much less fossil fuel to get it to the store!In addition, the food is much fresher as it is picked when ripe, thus allowing time for all the nutrients to get into the food.You are also eating foods that are in season; something we are designed to do.
Although this might not always be easy, start with your local Farmer’s Market.You will meet some great people – the farmers and ranchers.You will find you have a much greater connection to the person growing your food, the food will taste amazingly so much better, and you will feel a greater part of the whole food chain.If you are in a cold climate where this is only available in the summer, start there and get to talking to the farmers.Chances are that many of them will be able to provide you with food in the winter months as well.
I have found a local organic farmer, Jay Hill Farm that grows greens and various other produce all winter long.I just have to email her and it will be picked the following morning and ready for pick up after 11am.I have made salads with her mixed greens and arugula for many friends and family.I always get the same reaction, ‘wow this is the best salad I’ve ever had!’In so much as I would like to think it is my amazing ability to make a salad, I know better.The main difference is the fresh and vibrant taste of the greens!
Want to learn more about the ‘locavore’ movement?Here is a link and quote:
“The “locavore” movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to grow or pick their own food, arguing that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better. Locavores also shun supermarket offerings as an environmentally friendly measure, since shipping food over long distances often requires more fuel for transportation.”
Eatwild.comis your source for safe, healthy, natural and nutritious grass-fed beef, lamb, goats, bison, poultry, pork, dairy and other wild edibles.You can go here to find ranchers in your area.
Idea #1 – Purchase water in larger quantities and fill your own bottles.
To begin, water is life.Without it we will die and yet we don’t drink enough.Many people are walking around dehydrated and don’t even know it.For more details on signs of dehydration and more on the benefits of drinking water, read this article.
Meanwhile there are many more people drinking water-like products than ever before.First, many of those are processed and have various types of sugar and more.Rather than purchase these expensive products drink good water!Second, realize the environmental consequence of using all those bottles!
Last, if you do not have good water available in your area, purchase a water filter.There are many types on the market and are worth the cost.
Idea #2 – Purchase a healthy reusable bottle for your water.
BPA is a chemical that is found in hard plastic.It is very toxic and has been proven to cause cancer.Although more companies are aware of this and changing their bottles, not all are there yet.If using a plastic bottle, look for one that says, “BPA Free.”
One of the companies that have taken on this change is Nalgene.I really like their bottles as they have a variety of designs to meet everyone’s needs.If you cannot find them locally, here is their website.http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/
The second option is to use one of the Swiss made bottles.They are stainless steel on the inside so no worries about the plastic.Again you might be able to find these locally but if not, here is their website.http://mysigg.com/index.asp
5.Find Ways to Help Sustainability and Decrease your Carbon Footprint
In addition to the aforementioned, here are some relatively easy things you can do that have a positive effect on our environment.
Idea #1 – Decrease the amount of animal products you eat.
One of the ways we can have the greatest impact on our planet is to change our diet towards a vegetarian one.Now I am not proposing that we all give up animal products.I personally cannot imagine doing this and yet I am very impressed by those that have.
What I do realize is that even with eating grass fed and antibiotic free beef, cage free and natural chicken, and non-farmed fish, we are still using a great deal of the resources available on our planet.According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, “Livestock production is responsible for more climate change gasses than all the motor vehicles in the world. In total, it is responsible for 18 percent of human induced greenhouse gas emissions. It is also a major source of land and water degradation.”
So what do we do about this?Well, my goal is to start by having one day a week that I eat no animal products.I will then work towards two days.If each of us gave up one or two days a week, we would have a huge impact on our planet.With this being said, I intend to put more vegetarian recipes on my website!
Idea #1 – Change your lIghtbulbs!
As your light bulbs burn out, replace them with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs.They are 75% more efficient and last 10 times as long.http://www.rodale.com/cfl-and-led-lightbulbs
Idea #2 – Start unplugging what you are not using!
Unplug lights, stereos, printers, heaters, and anything else when not in use.Even if the units are turned off, many of them continue to use energy.The only way you can be assured they are not is to unplug them from the wall.It only takes an extra second but can have a huge impact on our energy output.
Idea #3 – Recycle!!!
Make it a goal to have a minimal amount of non-recyclable trash.Last year I made my goal to not have more than one (kitchen) bag of trash for two weeks.So far I am there all but those times that I have a big party.Once you get in the habit it is really easy.If you have a local recycling program, learn about all that you can recycle.If you are lucky enough to live in a place like Boulder, then you also have compostable recycling.If not, get a bin and start composting.Here is some information on how:
Idea #4 – Buy products with the least amount of packaging.
As mentioned earlier, if you stay along the periphery of the store, you will find the packaging to be at a minimum.Even at this however you need to think!I do see these plastic containers for spinach and mixed greens.Don’t buy them!Instead buy in the bulk.
To support this concept even more, I just purchased some reusable vegetable bags.I haven’t tried them yet but am excited to decrease the amount of plastic bags I accumulate.Check out their website!http://www.3bbags.com/
Idea #5 – Use less paper products.
Two ways that are extremely easy is in the kitchen.Rather than purchasing paper napkins, get some really nice cloth ones.It is a much nicer feel on your mouth and hands and they last forever!I still have the original ones I bought about 25 years ago!(I use them for outside picnics and camping.)
The other easy change is in using dish towels rather than paper towels.Dish towels or sponges are great and can be reused for a long time.Of course we do still need some paper towels but not so many.
Idea #6 – When Purchasing Paper Products, Get Recyclable Products
You can avoid the bleaching process and save the trees!“ If every household in the United States replaced one roll of virgin-fiber paper towels with 100 percent recycled paper towels, we could save 1.4 million trees.”Source:Care2 http://www.care2.com/greenliving/paper-towels-and-napkins-vs-cloth.html
Idea #6 – See how you’re doing!
Calculate your Carbon Footprint now and then again every few months.There are a lot of different sites to figure out this process, just search for carbon footprint calculator.This one is pretty simple but a good place to start:http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/?src=l12
If you have information or ideas that are along these thoughts, please share them!I look forward to hearing from you and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
ulie Webster is a Certified Massage Therapist and Certified Health Counselor. She provides health education online and through seminars. In addition she has written a book titled “Regaining Good Posture” which is available as an ebook, with videos performing each of the stretches, through her website: www.julie-webster.com Julie is also available for presentations on posture and various health topics to corporations. To reach her visit her website or email her at info@julie-webster.com
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Does happiness change with age? Although the difficulties of the aging process coupled with negative stereotypes about the elderly lead many to think that a decline in happiness is inevitable, in my first post I argued that some research contradicts this popular belief. A number of studies find that those who are 64 are more likely to report higher levels of happiness than those who are 34 or 44. These findings are revealing, and certainly they point to reasons why we should be somewhat optimistic about our “golden years.” But in this post I would like to add a note of caution. Although some have used these compelling findings to definitively conclude that happiness increases with age, I think this general conclusion is problematic for two primary reasons. After discussing these problems, I will try to keep the reader happy—especially the baby boomers–by nonetheless arguing that there are still considerable reasons to be optimistic about getting older, even if the future of aging presents a number of pressing issues for society as a whole.
The first problem with concluding that happiness increases with age is that findings on this subject vary according to how happiness is measured. This brings us to an issue that has perplexed greater thinkers throughout the ages: What is happiness? On the surface, this is a rather basic question that could be answered by most anyone. We have all experienced happiness, and, therefore, we all believe we know what it is.Yet because happiness is a subjective experience, a standard definition remains elusive. We all come to our own definitions of what happiness is, and subsequently use this definition to answer the question, Am I happy? Therefore, even with the understanding that people can be wrong about their own emotional states, most research on happiness is based on directly asking the people being studied to provide the answers themselves. The most basic way of doing this would be by asking a single global question like the following: “Taken all together, how would you say things are these days—would you say very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy.”
Some—particularly in psychology– approach the question of happiness a little deeper by more precisely trying to define the components of happiness. Since they often still take a subjective approach to answering the question, the term that is often used interchangeably with happiness is “subjective well-being” (SWB). Fancy terms for common words are often a part of academic disciplines, and it might be true that in many cases such substitutions are a way for people with PhDs to feel a wee bit smarter (and, thus, a bit happier). In this case, however, I think the use of the term SWB is way to arrive at a more precise definition of happiness. The three broad components that make up people who are high in SWB are characteristics typically associated with happiness: high life satisfaction, high positive affect (more likely to experience positive emotional states), and low negative affect (less likely to experience negative emotional states). Reliable multiple-item questionnaires have been created for all three components and used in hundreds of studies.
Now what is interesting is that when you take a close look at the research on aging and happiness, you find certain differences depending on how and what component of happiness/SWB is being measured.For instance, the single item question described above (“Taken all together..”) has been used in a number of large studies comparing thousands of people of different ages. Some research of this types indicates that happiness is high in people in young adulthood—in their 20s—and then shows a decline until one reaches their late 40s to early 50s, whereupon we once again see increases. Other research, using components of SWB, finds other results.For instance, considerable amount of research on life satisfaction does not often show the early dip in middle-age, but rather a gradual rise from individuals in their 30s to the early 70s. Also, research on negative affect often indicates significant declines in the experience of negative emotions as we move from young to older adulthood, but the research on positive affect is less conclusive, with some research indicating no change with age, other findings pointing to small increases, and yet other research finding gradual declines.Please note that even when these mixed results are considered, it still does not suggest that happiness is highest in young adulthood.
I will try to make sense of these discrepancies in a moment.But let’s take up the second problem, which is that a considerable amount of the age and happiness research is composed of populations that often do not include many people in their 80s and beyond. Not including such age groups might have made sense several decades ago, when they made up smaller amounts of the elderly population. But that is not the case today, and it is likely that “late life” for increasing number of people in the future will not mean late 60s or 70s, but the decades beyond. Therefore, this is an important population to consider, and when we begin to expand our research pool to include these age groups, the picture of happiness and aging becomes more complicated.For instance, while SWB research comparing samples of people in young adulthood and middle-age (30 to 50) to older adulthood (60 and 70s) often indicate higher SWB in the older populations, when we look at groups beyond their 70s, declines are more pronounced. My own longitudinal research with a sample of 1500 men found that while negative affect showed a significant decline between middle to older adulthood (from 40 to 70 years), these declines began to flatten when they reached their early 70s, and then the experience of negative emotions showed a gradual increase as men moved into their 80s. Therefore, while it is true that a number of studies do find increases in happiness with old age, many of these studies fail to define “old age” with individuals beyond their late 70s. Studies that do focus on the very old (>80) often find reductions in SWB with age.
What are we to make of all of these discrepancies? First, it seems that if we want to get a more defined picture of how happiness changes across the lifespan, we need to fully consider what aspects of happiness are being measured. When we consider the different components of SWB and how they show different changes across the lifespan, rather than think of these findings as inconsistencies we might instead want to consider how they reveal the different ways that aspects of the happy life manifest themselves across the lifespan. A more complete picture of happiness requires us to move away from a global and singular answer to this question. Different changes in different indicators of SWB might point to the varied ways we adjust to the aging process.
Second, recent research that finds declines in happiness in very late life make it clear that we should be careful about coming to any general conclusions about the direction of SWB across the lifespan. Although it is now more common to find headlines—in both academic and popular outlets—claiming that happiness is highest in later life, I think this optimistic picture of aging is incomplete. Yes, there is considerable amount of research that indicates that people are quite happy at 64, but we know considerably less about this question when we ask those who are 84. And while 64 years of age might have once produced the iconic image of the later years of life in a song written several decades ago, this picture of late life has shifted and thus must our conceptions of what it means to get old. Recent research indicating declines in happiness in the very old (>80 years) should be reason for concern. They probably point to the many stressors of the aging process as increasing difficulties accumulate.
Yet before you say I don’t want to be 80, consider a couple of points. Several longitudinal studies on SWB find a significant degree of variability in how people change across the lifespan, even in these later years. This is another way of saying that while a considerable number of people might show decreases in happiness in very late adulthood, a considerable number do not. Yes, people are still flourishing, even in their 80s and 90s. Why? What predicts differences in the ways we cope with the aging process? This is an essential question that I will address in a future post. The important point to consider now is that there is no reason to believe that such declines are inevitable. This leads me to my next point, which is that not so long ago our perceptions of aging and what was to be expected of those in later life were considerably different from today. Ageism and common negative stereotypes of the elderly remain, but consider the more sedentary lives of those in their 60s and 70s a half century ago, and compare that with the active lifestyle many in this same age group are practicing today.This profound cultural shift can be attributed to a variety of factors, including greater amounts of social capital, better health, and expanded life expectancies.
One of the most influential researchers in gerontology and positive aging, Paul Baltes, once wrote, “The greatest invention of the 20th century is old age.” In saying this, Baltes was saying how none of the changes we described were inevitable. If people live longer and in some cases better at later ages, it is because of the significant contributions made by society to cause these changes.But Baltes’ comment also points to the tremendous strain that such an invention places on society and individuals. If getting older is to continue to mean getting better for a significant portion of the population, it will also require considerable effort and sacrifice. When you consider that whatever the age of the person reading this post, it is now more likely than ever before in human history that he or she will spend more years at advanced ages of life, such commitment and sacrifice will be an essential part of ensuring a happy populace now and in the future.
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Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago at 12:08. 2 comments
HOW TO GET PICTURES FROM THE INTERNET IN YOUR VIDEO
Vivian asked the question:
“If I want to make my own video is there a source of pictures/videos I could use in my own video, for example if I wanted a picture of the planet earth from space spliced into my video can I do that?”
For all non-private uses, NASA’s Terms Of Use are as follows:
The imagery is free of licensing fees
NASA requires that they be provided a credit as the owners of the imagery
Other sources include istockphoto.com. This is an inexpensive pay for use site and has about any type of photo, video clip or audio clip that you could want.
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“Does one have to be retired to remove money without penalty from an IRA, 401K, 403B etc at age 59 1/2?”
Arin’s answer to Vivian’s question:
Once you reach age 59 1/2 you can start taking money out of your IRA or 401K in any amount you want. Keep in mind that you’ll owe tax on the amount you withdraw from a traditional account. The amount that you withdraw will be added to your other income and you will pay taxes based on your total income. With a Roth, there’s no tax at all provided your account has been open at least five years and you’re 59 1/2. Most advisors recommend that you hold off witdrawing funds from your retirement accounts until you’ve actually retired because at that point you will presumably be paying taxes at a lower rate and because you probably will need your retirement funds to last as long as possible. I recommend that you check with your financial advisor and/or accountant to make sure that withdrawing funds makes sense for you.
If you have additional questions, or have a comment to make about finance, please respond in the box below!
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In 1967, one of the first major reviews of happiness appeared in the psychological literature. It might seem hard to imagine now with new books on happiness popping up every month or so, but at that time happiness was of relatively little academic concern within psychology. Therefore, this article by a psychologist named Warner Wilson was quite valuable because it attempted to review and synthesize all of the studies on happiness up to that point and draw some conclusions based on this research. Among such conclusions was one that still seems persuasive to many: when it comes to happiness, better to be young.
Each year I teach an undergraduate class on the psychology of happiness. With the exception of a student or two, most of these students are in their late teens to early 20s. When I ask them to hypothetically compare the happiness levels of 20 and 30 year olds with those who are in their 60s and 70s, usually more than 60% pick the younger group (I suspect the numbers would be even be larger if it weren’t for the fact that by asking the question I am priming them to go against their instinct). Perhaps unless you are over 50 it is hard to think that being older means being happier. Why should it? After all, doesn’t getting older mean getting worse? Yes, it is true that the advent of modern medicine along with the rise of gerontology and education about aging has led to some shift in the way we think of older adulthood. However, while today’s 60 was yesterday’s 50, it doesn’t mean that common negative stereotypes of aging still do not persist. As one student asked, what is so great about losing cognitive skills, physical mobility, freedom, and social stature? Or as another student more bluntly put it, “not getting it up” can hardly make for a happy life.
Young adults’ mistaken perceptions of what awaits them in the coming years might lead to false conclusions about happiness in later life, but I think that there is more to it than that. In fact, while often grossly overstated by some, the aging process does involve decline in a number of areas, including certain cognitive skills and especially in a variety of physical abilities. And although there is a certain level of esteem and respect that is garnered as one ages (and, one hopes, progresses), our society still places great value on youth and the associated beauty, vigor, and excitement that comes with it. Regardless of the myths, in many respects, getting older can be hard. The often intuitive belief that being young means being happier makes perfect sense to me.
Let me reiterate, though, that Wilson’s early conclusion about happiness and aging were not based on intuition. This argument was based the existing research at the time. So this would be a pretty depressing post if I told you that this was the end of the story, that four decades later we have come to the scientific conclusion that it sucks to be old. In fact, something interesting happened—well, interesting enough, that I went on to do my doctoral dissertation on the subject (which according to some friends, hardly makes it interesting). After Wilson’s review, gradually more studies began to be conducted on the subject. The reason for this was twofold: greater attention to issues surrounding the aging process and more study devoted by psychologists, as well as related fields, to the question of happiness itself (I will have more to say about that in a later post). And not just more research, but better research. With each ensuing decade, the instruments being used were more precise and the populations being studied were larger and more diverse.
So now the interesting part. Through the 1970s and early 1980, a number of different studies did not find evidence that the young were happy than the old. In fact, by 1984 in the second major review of the literature, Ed Diener—one of the most prominent researchers in the area of happiness—had to amend Wilson’s original conclusion about age and happiness. At this point the research indicated there was no significant relationship between the two variables. In other words, age played little role in predicting happiness. Although there were certainly differences across individuals, there didn’t seem to be enough evidence to suggest that happiness varied in any predictable ways across age groups. If that still isn’t interesting enough for you, it gets better. After this review by Diener, there continued to be a significant amount of research on the question of happiness and aging. Again, this was due to the continued interest in gerontological issues and in an explosion of research on predictors of happiness. What began to emerge was a picture that surprised by many. So much so, that it was even identified as a “paradox.”Why a paradox?Because not only did it contradict Wilson’s earlier assertions, it went against the intuitive belief I spoke about before, the idea that aging and its associated rigors should lead to greater levels of unhappiness. These newer research suggested the exact opposite: there, indeed, was a relationship between age and happiness, and that relationship was positive. Getting older meant getting happier.
Let me give you one example of a study that changed the tide. In 1998, a young researcher named Dan Mroczek(along with his student Chris Kolarz) published research from a national database known as the MIDUS study. There had already been research suggesting that older people might be happier than the young, but perhaps due to the large sample size (over 2,500 people) and the sophisticated level of analysis, this study received considerable national attention. These researchers found that when comparing a group that ranged from their mid 20s to mid 70s, general levels of positive emotions increased across age groups while negative affect declined. Soon after they published their results, these findings appeared in a host of news outlets (it even provided material for Jay Leno’s opening monologue on the Tonight Show). In many respects, this study seemed to be the perfect conclusion to a decade of research on “positive aging.” For some time a number of researchers had been focused on the issue of understanding emotional changes across the lifespan, and Mrozcek’s study seemed to confirm many of their own positive conclusions about emotional well-being in late life.
So there you have it: when you are 64 you will be happy. Well, not exactly. Of course, no one study can ever then be used to predict an individual’s life. I hope to say more about individual differences—and factors related to such differences—at a later date. But let’s return to the general question of age differences and happiness. Does research substantiate the claim that aging more often leads to a rise in levels of happiness? A decade since Mroczek’s findings, there have been a number of studies that seem to confirm their results. At least when it comes to emotional well-being, these findings paint an optimistic picture of later life. Although it might be hard for someone younger than middle-age to imagine it might be so, a considerable amount of research suggests that happiness is not the provenance of the young.
Of course, some of you might not be surprised by this. In some cases, it might be because you are young and you are thinking, well it has to get better than this. Or maybe you are currently in middle-age or older and can tell me first-hand about this effect (as many of my older graduates have done). Or perhaps, even, you have read about these findings somewhere. Every several years you will find news outlets reporting the “surprising” finding that older individuals are happy! (The fact that this relatively old news is still newsworthy tells us how hard it is for us to believe it is true.) More than ever before—most especially in academic circles—there is an optimistic picture of life in later adulthood. In fact, it is not uncommon to hear the assertion that you get happier as you get older.
Now here is the part where I say that everything I have told you thus far is wrong, and you get annoyed. Well, not exactly. In fact, I do believe that there is considerable evidence to suggest that for many, happiness does increase across the lifespan. I certainly convinced that the notion that you are happiest in young adulthood is false. However, it seems to me that research over the last few years indicates that we might have painted an overly optimistic picture of such changes. In recent years researchers have sought to dissuade many from the stereotypical belief of the cantankerous old man as emblematic of the elderly population, and then replace him with the glossed over picture of a man swimming laps in the pool. There is good reason for this, and I find nothing wrong with our attempt to shift negative perceptions of aging. But what is missing is a more nuanced picture of an expanding cohort of elderly individuals. Although the media loves a happy ending, in my next post I would to discuss why we might needs to shift some of these assumptions about happiness once again. It might be true that you are likely to be happy when you are 64 and 74, but things seem more complicated when we start looking beyond to an elderly population that represents the fastest growing age cohort in the U.S.
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My boss is a 74-year old woman who is by far, the best manager I’ve had in my 20+ year career. She’s curious, energetic, charismatic and above all, connected. She’s the antithesis to prevailing aging stereotypes that depict older workers as those who tire too easily, get sick often, or are just too rigid or slow for a fast paced workplace.
Not only is my boss an older person, but so too are most of the people I routinely work with. They’re all 50+ and many are in their 60s and 70s. I consider myself fortunate to work with such an interesting and inspiring group of people, which is why I’m always perplexed when I read about the difficulties older people face when looking for a new job or re-entering the workforce. I recently came across a press release from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that featured findings from a public hearing on developments (widespread layoffs, threats to benefits) under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Expert panelists testified about “conscious and unconscious aging stereotypes” that cause employers to undervalue the contributions older workers make to their organization. Moreover, because of these stereotypes, older workers are targeted disproportionately during workforce reductions. (http://www.eeoc.gov/press/7-15-09.html.).
I think hiring and HR managers have it all wrong. There’s a lot to be said for the experience that comes from lives lived. Like the following:
High powered connections – my boss can pick up the phone and reach government officials or executives at leading health care organizations;
Appreciation that time is an important commodity that should not be wasted in meaningless meetings;
Willingness to take risks because they can handle rejection and are past caring about what other people think (did you know over the past decade or so, the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity is among those 50+? Check out this report: http://www.globalaging.org/health/us/2009/entrepreneurship.pdf);
Ability to follow through on their word – older workers are incredibly dependable;
Perspective – will the world really come to an end if you miss a deadline?
So my advice to any hiring managers reading this blog is to think twice the next time a “seasoned” resume or older job applicant comes your way. Cast aside those ageist stereotypes and focus instead on the valuable skills and experience this person can bring to both your organization – and your life.
Laura Traynor is a project manager with The Transition Network, a growing non-profit organization for women 50+. Together with her boss, Charlotte Frank, she manages the Caring Collaborative, an innovative program of strategic assistance offered by friends and neighbors to help women effectively handle emerging health issues ( www.ttncaringcollaborative.org ).
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