In the early decades of my life, I believed older people must envy my youth.

My smooth skin.

My strong muscles.

My abundant energy.

My dreams.

Call it the hubris of young ignorance, but I was sure the best part of life had to be the youthful years, and that it was all downhill from there.

Now I observe the worries of many young people around me: What if I don’t build a successful career? What if I don’t find a life partner? What if I can’t have children?

And I believe they must envy the freedom that comes from having most of those what-ifs resolved (for better or worse).

They must envy our happiness:
In 2010, researchers at Stony Brook University analyzed a telephone survey of hundreds of thousands of Americans and found that people over 50 were happier overall, with anger declining steadily from the 20s through the 70s and stress falling dramatically in the 50s.

And what about the wisdom that comes with age?
A 2012 Smithsonian article described a study in which researchers at the University of Michigan presented “Dear Abby” letters to 200 people and asked what advice they would give. Subjects in their 60s were better than younger ones at imagining different points of view, thinking of multiple resolutions and suggesting compromises.

Call it the hubris of elderly obliviousness, but I’m now quite sure that the best part of life begins after 60.

I do remember how it felt in my early years, however, and I remind myself that young people probably believe I envy their youth.

Yes, my arrogance and my belief (then and now) that others must envy me is a human flaw that is not pretty.

But isn’t it wonderful that our beliefs about what we value can shift to accommodate our changing realities?