About to embark on a new decade? Research suggests you’re about to do some serious thinking.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found that people tend to make major decisions in the year before starting a new decade. Examining other studies, researchers found that, of the eight million male users of cheating site Ashley Madison, there were more than 950,000 men aged 29, 39, 49, or 59, which is 18% more than you’d expect if numbers went by random chance.
A look at numbers from the Centres for Disease Control finds that the suicide rate for men and women of those ages ending in a 9 are higher than the rate for any other age.
Finally, a study of 500 marathon runners found that 74 of them were in their last year of a decade, which is 48% more than you’d expect if you wanted random chance.
Clearly, there’s something significant about advancing a decade, otherwise why all the cheating, suicide, and marathons? Though, of the three, we’d say go for the marathon—and if you’re thinking of suicide, for God’s sake, get help.
As for the cheating, maybe skip that too.
Photo courtesy of flickr.
