Which Years Will You Call the “Best of Your Life”? Apparently… Chaos Decades

Ever looked back at your life and thought, “Wow, I truly had no idea what I was doing… and honestly, that felt kind of iconic”?

You’re not alone. A poll of over 1,000 adults asked which years people think they’ll remember as the best of their lives — and the results are both comforting and mildly alarming.

🏆 The “Best Years” According to Humanity

Drumroll please…

🥇 Your 20s – 22%
The decade of bad decisions, cheap wine, emotional damage, and 4-6 business days to recover from a hangover. Zero money. Zero plan. Elite delusion.

🥈 Your 30s – 20%
You start to know who you are… but your knees begin filing complaints.

🥉 Your 40s – 12%
You stop caring what people think and start caring deeply about your back.

4️⃣ Your 50s – 9%
Financial wisdom. Questionable eyesight.

5️⃣ Your Tweens & Teens – 8%
Bold choice for those who survived high school and said, “Yes, that. Again.”

✨ 12% said their 60s, 70s or 80s will be their glory years
👶 5% peaked as literal babies
🤷‍♀️ 11% simply said “I don’t know,” which feels emotionally accurate

Now For The Worst Years of Your Life (Because Balance)

Shockingly? No clear champion for misery.

• Tweens & Teens – 12% (absolutely correct)
• Your 20s – 10% (the other side of the chaotic coin)
• 30s & 40s – tied at 9%

So yes, the same decade that people think is the best might also be the worst — which honestly tracks. Your 20s were either “living my best life” or “crying in a public bathroom” with very little middle ground.

RELATED: Why Millennials are Craving the 90s: The Decades We're Most Nostalgic For in 2024

The Real Conclusion?

Every decade is messy.
Every decade has back pain.
And somehow, we all romanticize the ones where we were just barely surviving.

But if you’re in your 40s reading this thinking, “These are NOT the best years,” just remember:

You can now afford good cheese.
And that’s growth.