# Rules for middle aged happiness **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 26, 2021, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287 "2021-07-26T00:55:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/1 "2021-07-26T00:55:04Z")
The Atlantic has a story which claims three rules to increase happiness for those neither young nor old: Gather friends and feed them, laugh in the face of calamity, and cut out all the things––people, jobs, body parts––that no longer serve you. I would say these are okay. But I am sure Dopers can do better… ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/2 "2021-07-26T01:41:23Z")
I “pit” “Laugh in the face of calamity” - I assume if you do the right things then that will happen as a byproduct, but it’s not the root solution. So we definitely need at least one replacement. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/3 "2021-07-26T01:43:51Z")
“Mom died - tee-hee!” Yeah, needs work. Cultivate your garden. It worked for Candide. ---
**Author:** ![Rata\_Sum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a698b9/32.png) [@Rata\_Sum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rata_Sum)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/4 "2021-07-26T01:51:09Z")
“Make time for fun.” It’s easy to get bogged down in responsibilities. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/5 "2021-07-26T02:29:24Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Gather friends and feed them My nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/6 "2021-07-26T02:31:17Z")
Yeah, laughing in tragedy sounds like toxic positivity. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/7 "2021-07-26T02:38:54Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Gather friends and feed them …to whom or what? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/8 "2021-07-26T02:43:53Z")
Yes, we can still do all the things we did when we were young, but now you must: Schedule recovery time after any travel or exertion. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/9 "2021-07-26T02:44:44Z")
> [@Rata\_Sum](#): > > “Make time for fun.” It’s easy to get bogged down in responsibilities. For certain. And, don’t let yourself be trapped into thinking that you’ve outgrown things that you found fun when you were younger. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/10 "2021-07-26T06:32:19Z")
Feel sorry for others, not yourself. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/11 "2021-07-26T06:58:06Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > …to whom or what? Ha!!! ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/12 "2021-07-26T07:10:20Z")
Don’t worry about what other people think of you. I’ll replace ‘laugh in the face of calamity’ with ‘recognise what’s important, and don’t get upset by stuff that doesn’t matter’. Be kind ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/13 "2021-07-26T07:16:13Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Don’t worry about what other people think of you. > > Be kind And take comfort in knowing, people aren’t thinking about you or talking about you. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/14 "2021-07-26T07:40:14Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > And take comfort in knowing, people aren’t thinking about you or talking about you. THIS. So this. I have a friend who survives on fantasies that her friends are bitching behind her back, or have purposely slighted her by not sending her a birthday card, or deliberately excluded her from an outing for ‘reasons’. Geez Louise, they’ve just got their own lives going on. You’re not that important. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/15 "2021-07-26T08:30:07Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Gather friends and feed them, laugh in the face of calamity, and cut out all the things––people, jobs, body parts––that no longer serve you. For the intended age group, what body parts would those be? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/16 "2021-07-26T09:25:16Z")
“Don’t be jealous of youth” would be a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/17 "2021-07-26T09:36:15Z")
As George Carlin famously said Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/18 "2021-07-26T10:56:16Z")
Pay off your credit card and start saving! ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/19 "2021-07-26T11:17:46Z")
> [@saje](#): > > My nightmare. thank you. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287/20 "2021-07-26T11:23:13Z")
Part of me would love to be able to do that confidently. But as much as I love to eat well, I DO NOT enjoy cooking. I can cook for myself and my husband but I don’t get huge satisfaction from it. I like spending time with friends, but not in my quiet home haven. The thought of inviting people over to my odd little house, playing host and attempting to feed them … \>shudder\< [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-middle-aged-happiness/947287.md?page=2)