You know what they say -don't complain about getting old because it beats NOT getting old! But there are some advantages. While some mental capabilities diminish, others get better. And the wisdom of age comes in handy in social situations.
And what's even better, people over 50 tend to be happier. Read a roundup of recent research on aging at Smithsonian. Link
(Image credit: Karsten Thormaehle)
For a 2010 study, researchers at the University of Michigan presented “Dear Abby” letters to 200 people and asked what advice they would give. Subjects in their 60s were better than younger ones at imagining different points of view, thinking of multiple resolutions and suggesting compromises.
It turns out that managing emotions is a skill in itself, one that takes many of us decades to master.
And what's even better, people over 50 tend to be happier. Read a roundup of recent research on aging at Smithsonian. Link
(Image credit: Karsten Thormaehle)
Up to a point - another even more comprehensive study (60k people in the study), also recently released (and includes a link to the actual study):
http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/happiness-wave-crests-at-retirement/
This study claims, "People are at their happiest at retirement age and their most miserable in their geriatric years."