The big 5-0 is perhaps bigger than ever.
Americans would prefer to live at 50[1] in good health than any other age, a new Harris Poll revealed. That's 9 years older than the favorite age indicated in the same poll 10 years ago.
According to its release, Harris surveyed 2,242 adults of all ages, asking the question: "If you could skip time and live forever in good health at a particular age, what age would you like to live at?" The average was 50.
Granted, eternal life is a no-go and the poll is far from precise, but the findings do lend some credence to the notion that many people are living fuller lives later in life.
"You’re young enough[2] to be famous or start an organic farm and still have the muscle tone to work eight hours a day," psychologist Barbara Becker Holstein told Today in explaining the appeal of 50. "You’re old enough to have wisdom but young enough that your parents are still alive so you have a generational experience."
In addition to medical breakthroughs keeping us younger-looking longer, the psychologist pointed out that, at 50, we tend to be less anxious and more optimistic.
Among the more intriguing Harris results, the baby boomer demographic (49-67), which includes 50 year olds, responded that the ideal age would be 55; for those older than 68, 67 was best. And between genders, men said their preferred age is 47 as opposed to women's 53.
Of course this is just one survey. A recent study by the London School of Economics determined that 23 and 69[3] are the happiest ages.
But no matter what the research, we still think 50 is nifty.
Earlier on HuffPost50:
References
- ^ live at 50 (www.harrisinteractive.com)
- ^ "You’re young enough (www.today.com)
- ^ 23 and 69 (newsfeed.time.com)
- ^ h/t MSN (now.msn.com)
- ^ Send us a tip (www.huffingtonpost.com)
- ^ Send us a photo or video (www.huffingtonpost.com)
- ^ Suggest a correction (www.huffingtonpost.com)
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