Column Anthropology The ‘midlife crisis’ is too simple a story, scientists say Happiness over a lifetime follows different courses in various parts of the world By Sujata Gupta Social Sciences Writer November 4, 2024 at 1:00 pm The idea that happiness in the Western world plummets around midlife before rebounding has been around since the mid-1960s. A growing body of evidence supports the theory’s demise. Westend61/Getty Images Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterestPocketRedditPrint The notion of a midlife crisis is dead. Or maybe it was always bunk. Now some scientists want a postmortem for the theory.