Happiness follows a U-shaped curve throughout life, reaching its lowest point (the nadir) around age 47-48—a period that coincides with the peak of perimenopause—before rising steadily thereafter.

noli's read

The concept of the U-shaped happiness curve is supported by large observational studies, notably the work of economist David Blanchflower published in the Journal of Population Economics, which indeed identifies a low point in well-being around age 47-48 in developed countries. This transition often coincides with periods of significant hormonal variation and midlife stress. However, research is not unanimous: longitudinal studies conducted by psychologists like Nancy Galambos suggest that the trajectory of happiness is more complex and does not systematically follow this U-shape for everyone. Furthermore, although the parallel with perimenopause is clinically highly relevant to explain this feeling of chaos, the data on the happiness curve come from global demographic surveys and not from biological analyses measuring the direct impact of hormones. This phase should therefore be understood as a general trend and an opportunity for personal re-evaluation rather than as an absolute biological inevitability.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.