Women start out happier than men, but end up less happy in later life, partly because they are less able to achieve their life goals. The areas of family and finances help explain this. Men are less happy in their 20′s, because their financial situation falls farther short of their aspirations, and they are likely to be single. As men age they are more likely to be married than women, and this marriage gap widens with age. So in their later years they are more likely to be satisfied with their family lives. Also in later life men generally come closer to meeting their financial and status goals. After age 48 men’s average overall happiness exceeds women’s. (New Research Finds Gender Differences In Happiness – Medical News Today) Researcher Todd Kashdan says that if he had to name three factors that are essential for happiness and meaning they would be meaningful relationships, gratitude, and living in the present with openness and curiosity. He also speculates that since men are taught to control their softer emotions they might be limiting their happiness. (Key to Happiness is Gratitude, and Men May be Locked Out – Science Daily)
