The Art of Deciding What to Care About

The Art of Deciding What to Care About Happiness often comes from figuring out what’s worth your energy. Oleg Breslavtsev / Getty Courtesy of Linda C. This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a set of stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Sign up here to get it every Saturday morning. Something about getting older makes it easier to say “No, thank you.” On average, older Americans score higher on well-being than younger adults, and much of this is thanks to developing a clearer sense of what’s worth time and attention. At 61 years old, Arthur C. Brooks writes in his recent column, “I will go to considerable personal effort to serve causes that I care about, and I will discuss matters of spiritual depth or scientific importance for hours on end. But small talk in a noisy bar? No chance.” The idea of saving your energy for what really matters seems obvious, even cliché. But as life’s pressures mount, it can be hard to sift through and make those decisions. Today’s newsletter offers some tips for making the tough choices that will ultimately help life feel more joyful. On Aging Happily What I Wish I’d Known When I Was Younger By Arthur C. Brooks The three reasons old people are happier that work for any age What the Longest Study on Human Happiness Found Is the Key to a Good Life By Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz The Harvard Study of Adult Development has established a strong correlation between deep relationships and well-being. The question is, how does a person nurture those deep relationships? The Seven Habits That Lead to Happiness in Old Age By Arthur C. Brooks Your well-being is like a retirement account: The sooner you invest, the greater your returns will be. Still Curious? : What a growing body of research reveals about the biology of human happiness-and how to navigate the (temporary) slump in middle age ( The real roots of midlife crisis from 2014 ) : “Nora Ephron taught me that couches should be white; tables, round; emails, short; lunches, long,” Deborah Copaken wrote in 2021. Three rules for middle-age happiness Other Diversions PS I recently asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. Linda C., 68, sent this photo of “the view from First People’s Buffalo Jump near Great Falls, Montana. I hike here most seasons to enjoy the expansive views and reflect on the people and animals who trod here before me.” I’ll continue to feature your responses in the coming weeks. - Isabel

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