The theory that happiness plummets in midlife before rebounding has been around since the mid-1960s. However, a growing body of evidence now supports the theory. Researchers have found several variants of how happiness unfolds among nonindustrialized communities in Asia, Latin America and Africa. The U-shape curve has now all but disappeared, and researchers must turn their focus to teens and young adults immediately. The midlife crisis narrative rose out of people’s desire for simple answers to complex problems.
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