Seniors Are Happier, More Content

The older you are, the happier you are, says eye-opening new research about Americans' attitude toward life. "The good news is that with age comes happiness," said study author Yang Yang, a University of Chicago sociologist. "Life gets better in one's perception as one ages."

Older Americans have learned to be satisfied with what they have. They have more realistic expectations about life and have come to accept their achievements. Seniors realize "it's fine that I was a schoolteacher and not a Nobel prize winner," explained Duke University aging expert Linda George.

Between 1972 and 2004, Yang conducted periodic interviews with 28,000 people between the ages of 18 to 88. Although happiness seemed to soar and dip with the economy, at every stage in the study older Americans were happiest. About 33% of those surveyed said they were happy at age 88, compared to 24% of those 18 to 25. As people progressed through life, happiness appeared to increase about 5% with each decade. "Contentment as far as I'm concerned comes with old age," said study participant Ilse Siegler, 84, "because you accept things the way they are. You know that nothing is perfect."