Drawing on cutting-edge research, Jonathan Rauch explains that happiness follows a U-shaped trajectory, declining from the optimism of youth into a low trough in middle age before rising again in the 50s. This midlife slump is defined as a natural stage of life, equipping individuals with new tools for wisdom and gratitude. The book features insights from various individuals, including everyday people and notable figures, and discusses how social, rather than material, factors influence happiness in later life.
Alan Castel, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of California Los Angeles. His research focuses on how cognition changes with age and how people selectively remember important events. His work has been supported by the National Institute on Aging and has been featured in The New York Times and Time Magazine. In this episode, Eric and Alan discuss his book, Better with Age: The Psychology of Successful Aging.
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In This Interview, Alan Castel, Ph.D. and I Discuss…
- His book, Better with Age: The Psychology of Successful Aging
- How mindset matters in aging
- Role models in successful aging
- That life can get better with ageSocio-Emotional Selectivity Theory
- The realization that time is finite
- The ways that life can get better the older we get
- What helps prevent cognitive decline
- That older adults often have less regret than younger adult
- How we’re better at focusing on what’s important as we age
- Walking or getting physical exercise (getting blood flow to the brain) is key in preventing cognitive decline
- The importance of balance training when it comes to healthy aging
- How illuminating it is to test your balance
- How helpful it is to be around people who do the things that we’re looking to do in our lives
- The challenges that come with retirement – and how to overcome them
- The middle way as it applies to retirement
- The two most important things in life
Alan Castel, Ph.D. Links:
memory & lifespan cognition lab
google scholar
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If you liked this episode, you might also enjoy these other episodes:
Jonathan Rauch
Parker J. Palmer
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