Grow old, grow happier

In the past three weeks, cable TV in the US has been filled with irate, red faced seniors shouting insanely about health care. It is difficult to reconcile these images with the BBC report below which suggests that old people get happier as they grow older. At least the ones on cable TV show no such signs-- the only signs they show are a paranoia and a deeprooted dislike of any change that may impact their lives. It is a new version of " I got mine, Jack" and don't you mess with me. While some of it is driven by fear fanned by the right wing zealots on the radio and TV, there is clearly some degree of racism involved as well. But one would hope that age would provide some degree of perspective and some measure of maturity. One presumes most of these irate citizens are churchgoers, but I saw no sign of any charity in their actions, passions or desires. So the report from BBC comes as a welcome respite that perhaps those on the cable TV are a fringe minority and not representative of old age and the recent studies that suggest that most people get happier as they grow older are correct. Despite worries about ill health, income, changes in social status and bereavements, later life tends to be a golden age, according to psychologists. I hope so indeed

Here are some tips for a happy old age according to these studies