{"id":1991,"date":"2024-07-11T08:30:11","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T15:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/magazine\/?p=1991"},"modified":"2024-09-03T16:59:57","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T23:59:57","slug":"never-past-your-prime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/magazine\/never-past-your-prime\/","title":{"rendered":"Contrary to popular opinion, life peaks after 40 \u2013 here\u2019s why"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Contrary to popular opinion, life peaks after 40 \u2013 here\u2019s why<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n
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\n\n \n Here are four life peaks we can look forward to later in life.\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n By<\/span>Susan Bell<\/a><\/strong>\n \n July 11, 2024<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Contrary to popular belief, growing older is not all gloom and doom, far from it. \u201cPeople worry about growing old because our image of old age is dominated by decline. But the expectation that everything will get worse as we get older is simply false,\u201d says Norbert Schwarz<\/a>, Provost Professor of Psychology<\/a> and Marketing. \u201cParticularly in North America, Europe and more affluent societies of Asia, life gets better as we age.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, growing older means we can look forward to hitting several peaks in cognitive ability, not to mention becoming happier and quite possibly nicer. There is also an increased chance of winning an ultramarathon \u2014 and even that coveted Nobel Prize.<\/p>\n

So, could your prime still be ahead of you? Here are some peaks to look forward to in later life.<\/p>\n

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Running Ultramarathons<\/h2>\n

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Ultrarunners peak far later than other athletes: between 40 and 44 for women and 45 to 49 for men, according to a 2020 study of runners who completed 100km ultramarathons. And the longer the race in either distance or duration, the older the runners with the peak performance. There are even ultramarathon winners in their 70s.<\/p>\n

Cognitive Ability<\/h2>\n

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The belief that we\u2019re at our sharpest mentally in our 20s and 30s and that it\u2019s all downhill from there is challenged by studies showing that several areas of mental acuity are highest in the second half of our lives. Chess players make the greatest number of \u201coptimum\u201d moves at around age 40. You may have mastered your multiplication tables in elementary school, but research studies show that ability to solve arithmetic problems peaks at about 50. Vocabulary reaches its zenith even later, in our late 60s or early 70s. And if you\u2019re aiming to win a Nobel Prize, you can take comfort from the fact that most winners who receive the ultimate accolade do so in their early 60s.<\/p>\n

Happiness<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Study after study confirms it<\/a>: Happiness declines from youth to middle age and increases again into old age. \u201cThe expectation that happiness continues to decline after your 30s is wrong \u2014 it goes up again as you get older, continuing into old age,\u201d says Schwarz. The reason? \u201cOnce we retire, a lot of the stresses of daily life, such as parenting, pursuing a career and striving to advance, are gone. You are free to spend your time with people you like and engage in leisure activities you enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agreeability<\/h2>\n

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Research suggests adults become more agreeable with age. \u201cOlder people are nicer in social interactions, perhaps partly because they can be more selective in whom they interact with,\u201d says Schwarz. He notes that older people tend to avoid situations \u2014 and people \u2014 that cause them distress.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n The Longevity Guide\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Our experts share their research insights on how to live a longer, happier and healthier life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n

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\n USC Dornsife Magazine\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Spring\/Summer 2024<\/h2>\n

Health and Well‑Being<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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