top of page

Riding the Happiness Curve


On my 50th birthday – just this past week – my wife sent me an article reviewing Jonathan Rauch’s new book, The Happiness Curve. In his book, Rauch reviews the scientific and economic literature on happiness and concludes that – barring external adverse circumstances - personal happiness starts to grow after age 50.

It’s a refreshing change from the stereotypical “mid-life crisis.” His view of the data is rather that the evidence points to a mid-life “slump,” and we are better equipped to emerge from it through a focus on connection rather than competition. As we age, research shows that older people feel less stress and regret, dwell less on negative information and are better able to regulate their emotions.

Why bring this up in an AIQUEOUS newsletter? In addition to this being my 50th birthday, it also marks the 30th anniversary of the start of my career in water and energy. During the 1988 Drought (which I experienced firsthand), we also as a society were introduced to the “Greenhouse Effect.” I’ve been wondering about what’s changed in the past 30 years, and digging into the numbers has produced some surprising findings:

As more independent surveys express concern by professionals on water availability and studies solidify evidence of climate change, population and carbon emission trends over the past 30 years suggest an intractable problem.

How is this relevant to the “Happiness Curve”? Personally, my perspective on these data has shifted from one of dismay to one of faith. Having 30 years of work experience allows me to see the number of people bringing passion, ingenuity, and creativity into society. This type of transformation – a shift to a more efficient, less carbon- and resource-intense economy – happens slowly and gradually. And, even though the task won’t be mine to complete, I’m not allowed to take a pass on it, either.

At AIQUEOUS today, I get to work with a small team of committed people looking to amplify the positive effects of our clients and partners. It’s certainly possible – and sometimes too easy – to tap into the stress and negative information that surrounds us. My goal now is to focus on connections – with our team, with our clients, with our partners, and yes with our competition. I look forward to seeing what the next 30 years will bring.

Featured 
Recent 
Follow Us
  • Facebook Basic Square
bottom of page