Two out of three ain’t bad
Bookworm on Apr 21 2009 at 8:45 pm | Filed under: Uncategorized
I’ve got everything lined up but for the “not neurotic” bit (emphasis mine):
But what effect does your personality have on your longevity? Do some kinds of temperaments lead to longer lives? A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at this question by examining the personality traits of 246 children of people who had lived to be at least 100. (The study chose the offspring of centenarians because they are easier to follow over time than the very aged since they don’t die as often before follow-up interviews can be conducted. Also, children of those who live to 100 are themselves likelier to live longer.) (See pictures of the world’s most celebrated senior citizens.)
The study shows that those who live the longest are more outgoing, more active and less neurotic than other people. Long-living women are also more likely to be empathetic and cooperative than women with a normal life span. These findings comport with what you would expect from evolutionary theory: those who are extroverted enough to make friends and help others are those who are going to be able to gather enough resources to make it through tough times. (See 20 ways to get and stay happy.)
Turns out that self-discipline isn’t such a big deal for longevity. Who knew?
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2 Responses to “Two out of three ain’t bad”
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Also from the article:
“But the new paper suggests that if you want long life, you should strive to be as outgoing as possible.”
Oh well…looks like I’m out of luck.
A shorter life by honoring my introverted nature? I can live with that, and die happily when the time comes. Quality, not quantity. (Though my beloved introverted grandfather lived well into nineties, so who knows? How I miss curling up with a good book in his library, the two of us reading in affectionate, kindred silence.)
What?!
You think being active doesn’t take self-discipline?
In my case, believe you me, if I don’t exert considerable self-discipline, I sink into a couch and vegetate! Not proud of it, but there you are.