Imaxtree. Szymon Brzoska
How we feel about ourselves changes a lot throughout life, and it’s often been said that the older we get, the more secure we feel and the more self-worth we possess. Now, we have the facts to back it up – new research from the Psychological Bulletin reveals that our self-esteem peaks when we are 60-years-old.
The paper researched more than 300 studies on self-esteem in different age groups, which identified a pattern across birth year, gender and nationality.
Self-esteem increased consistently until the highest point at 60, where it stayed for the next decade, then declined slightly when the person reached their 70s and 80s, until finally dropping more sharply at age 90, reports The Cut.
The study also found that the relationship we have with ourselves improves steadily over the first few decades of our lives. Self-esteem can be defined as “a person’s subjective evaluation of his or her worth as a person.” The peak age at 60 could be down to feeling more confident in who you are, not caring what other people think or being at peace with your body, perhaps due to increased life experience.
On the flip side, the pressures of social media could explain the lower levels of self-esteem the younger we are, as a study last year found Instagram to be the worst social network in terms of its impact on mental health.
From: Harper’s BAZAAR UK
