I saw a new study showing 70% of adults reject midlife stereotypes—and I thought, “Only 70%?” Because from where I sit, midlife looks less like a breakdown and more like a breakthrough with better taste.
Even more telling: 71% say their best years are now or ahead. That tracks. Most people I know in their 50s and 60s aren’t unraveling—they’re editing. Saying no faster, laughing more, and finally admitting they never liked networking events in the first place.
And yet, 84% say negative aging language still gets in our heads. Which means culture is basically gaslighting us: “You’re declining!” while we’re over here feeling clearer, freer, and oddly uninterested in impressing anyone.
Personally, I don’t feel “over the hill.”
I feel like I finally own the hill—and the view is fantastic.
-Chip