Does ageism begin at 25?
Wellbeing is increasingly an important goal for policy makers, and for people. As the economist Richard Layard pointed out in his book on happiness, “Most people want more income and strive for it. Yet as Western societies have got richer, their people have become no happier”. A small mountain of evidence – from levels of suicide and depression to survey findings – show that Layard has got it right. What makes people happier, and more satisfied with life, is not income. Once we have reached a certain level of material comfort, most of us find our pleasures elsewhere – among family, friends, communities, and organisations, and from our health and ability to survive challenges. Even our work delivers more than a wage, with people regularly reporting that their working environment is an important factor in how satisfied they are with life. And at a time of crisis and increasing unemployment, it is important to remember what undermines wellbeing. The most important factor seems to be a los
