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The more outgoing and optimistic you are, the longer you may live, a new study suggests. Researchers have found that personality traits like being outgoing, optimistic, easygoing, and enjoying laughter as well as staying engaged in activities may be an important part of the longevity genes mix.
"When I started working with centenarians, I thought we'd find that they survived so long in part because they were mean and ornery," study researcher Nir Barzilai, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said in a statement. "But when we assessed the personalities of these 243 centenarians, we found qualities that clearly reflect a positive attitude towards life."
The study is a part of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's Longevity Genes Project, which includes more than 500 Ashkenazi Jews ages 95 and older, and 700 of their kids. This small subset of Eastern European Jews is genetically very similar to each other. In addition, some members of the population are extremely long-lived, so it's easy to compare their genes to the genetics of members of the population who don't fall into that category. [ 7 Ways the Mind & Body Change With Age ]
By analyzing the genes of these people, researchers are discovering why some of them live so long, and others don't.
Previous studies of this population have found other genetic reasons for their longevity, including genes related to cellular repair mechanisms. Another study found that these centenarians don't necessarily behave any better than the general population when it comes to health habits: They smoke, drink and eat just as badly as the rest of us.
So why look at personality? A person's level of shyness or how open they are to new experiences, say, arise from underlying genetic mechanisms, which may also affect health, the researchers said. So Barzilai and colleagues developed a brief measure of personality, which they gave to 243 of the centenarians in the study (average age 97.6 years, 75 percent women).
"Most were outgoing, optimistic and easygoing," Barzilai said of the centenarians. "They considered laughter an important part of life and had a large social network. They expressed emotions openly rather than bottling them up."
In addition, the centenarians had lower scores for displaying neurotic personality and higher scores for being conscientious compared with a representative sample of the U.S. population.
"Some evidence indicates that personality can change between the ages of 70 and 100, so we don't know whether our centenarians have maintained their personality traits across their entire life spans," Barzilai said. "Nevertheless, our findings suggest that centenarians share particular personality traits and that genetically based aspects of personality may play an important role in achieving both good health and exceptional longevity."
The results were published May 21 in the journal Aging.
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Leave a Comment:
You know what would kill introverts even faster? The stress from trying to become extroverts cause their doctors advice it. Sheesh.
Hah! You made me LOL. :)
In a culture where we reward extroverted behaviors, of course researchers are going to reach this conclussion. I am an introvert, and so were most of my relatives who lived well into their 90's. Just because you are loud and out going doesn't mean you are going to live longer. I would really like to see their research.
personality traits like being outgoing, optimistic
Extrovert personality traits: Talk about anything and everything, no matter how insignificant, loud, obnoxious, annoying, always trying to FORCE introverts to socialize. Extroverts are INCAPABLE of understanding introverts, they do NOT realize that introverts rarely open their mouths unless they have something important to say, or if they're having a debate.
They ask "are you okay?" "why are you so quiet?" "smile!"...this is just irritating to an introvert, we HATE being treated like some sort of mental patient just because of our NORMAL personalities.....they do not understand that just because an introvert is quiet and reserved, that does NOT mean that there is something wrong. Introverts are NOT inferior, or mentally ill, or somehow "off" no matter how much you extroverts want us to be. Extroverts are ALWAYS trying to label the introverted, it seems.
This study doesn't mean anything it ONLY suggests, there is NO proof of this, and I think this is just another excuse for the news media to once AGAIN try and put introverts on a higher pedestal, and treat them as the superiors. Well, to be honest, I think extroverts need to stop buying into it and get off their high horse.
There is NOTHING wrong with being introverted, you cannot change us, yet you refuse to accept us.
Either this article or the scientific study is very confused. Having a positive outlook on life has NOTHING to do with introversion/extroversion; A person's level of shyness has NOTHING to do with introversion/extroversion. Thanks for pissing off the introvert community YET AGAIN. I am an easygoing introvert who loves laughter and most definitely isn't shy.
You sound like me :)
Never quit laughing folks..................
From the movie Armageddon, when the astronomer finds the asteroid flying towards earth:
Since they only studied people who were elderly, perhaps what they discovered is that the older you are, the more likely you are to develop extroverted tendencies?
From the article:
Again, how much taxpayer money did we spent on this "study?"
Introverts cannot be optimistic? So engaging with other people is the only way to happiness, we can't just enjoy nature and pets?
I'm with you John. I'm happiest working in my garden alone, painting, photography, and other solitary pursuits. My pets bring me great joy. My life is very rewarding just the way it is. Most people just bring aggravation, or inane conversations of which I am not remotely interested. I'm a female, but I don't want to talk about shoe shopping, decorating, relationships or hairstyles, and forcing myself to would make me very unhappy. On the other hand, I don't want to talk about competitive sports, or cars either.
Never imagined how much bull crap in this country and in this century i was and will continue to listen...WOW!
As an extravert (the most accepted spelling) myself, I was excited when I saw this article's title. So many articles seem to sing the praises of introversion and give extraverts tips on how to treat them to make them comfortable. It's as if extraversion is a problem. Then I read about how the population was selected and some of the criteria, and I don't think this study says much that's useful. I've known quite a few 95+ people who seem positive, easy-going, and who laugh a lot and are surrounded by strong support systems--in public. However, I've also been present in situations where those same people are with their children and their dark side manifests more often than not. They don't show this side to the public, doctors, or researchers. (I also know introverts like this.) So I am not feeling like much is communicated by this article, since there are still so many unknowns.
Here's another reason Extroverts live longer. They comprise 70%+ of the population -- so, all the rules of society are driven by extroverts. Introverts, therefore, spend their life trying to fit in to what's acceptable and seen as normal by extroverts. That's a very stressful thing -- especially in workplace situations where being team players and discussing everything at nauseum is the norm. I think the stress of being the less accepted segment of society is what kills us off first.
Oh GREAT! The Rotarians and fools who collar me in supermarkets to expound on--anything--are going to live long and inherit the earth--like cockroaches. I will go to (early) grave as an introvert who refuses to impose on people around me and bore them to frenzy.
At least you'll have a tidy funeral.
So if I act like a loud, obnoxious jerkwad, I'll live to be a hundred, huh? No thanks.
The Mind/body connection is very real!!! Many other countries have known this for centuries including America's first nation. Too bad we never learned from them
This article is implying that introverts are not optimistic...they may not be outgoing, but that certainly does NOT mean that we are negative.
Agree totally positive attitude is everything. Just got out of a meeting with Joe Buzzkill and I am positive if I hadn't made a motion to meet next Tuesday I am positive I would have killed him. We are looking for a new Pastor, inquire within.
To each their own, I say. The attributes that some associate to a positive outlook is not the same for everyone. There are culture differences, for starters. For some, the more extroverted they are, the more bad luck they find.
Happiness is in a rose garden, for some.
OK, I'm dead.
Don't worry, in your next life you'll live longer
Well apparently it's mostly introverts who are commenting because there are so many pessimistic remarks about a rather benign and possibly meaningless article. Get over it people as next week some report will come out that shy, introverted loners live the longest. Who cares? Besides ... I'm not completely certain that living to 100 is that desirable although I would consider myself more extroverted than introverted and more optimistic than pessimistic. I think it's not so much "either/or" but probably on some kind of continuum among humans. One more thing: many of you are really generalizing about extroverts being loud and obnoxious and pushy but I only see those people as the extreme end of the continuum. It's possible to be talkative, friendly, enjoy the company of others and yet not be demanding, loud or pushy.
I have NEVER seen a positive article about introverts....they're all meant to paint introverts as people who are superior in every way, and introverts will never make the grade. Sure, the articles would NEVER come out and say it, but they are DELIBERATELY trying to make extroverts think that they are above us.
I wonder if there is a link between being introverted and being paranoid.
I am not paranoid. This isn't the first tims MSNBC has put out an "extroverts are better" article. So shove it, jackass.
Isis,
Have you read the book Quiet by Susan Cane? For the introvert forced to deal in a world where being an extrovert is valued, it is a good read. I agree with you, just because we are quiet, doesn't make us any less happy, intelligent or friendless.
What they also fail to do is declare which definitions of "introvert" and "extravert" they are using. Not even researchers agree on the meanings, since instruments vary widely. I see a lot of self-proclaimed "introverts" responding here who are taking the opportunity to deride extraverts. I don't see that as particularly positive; it even supports some of the basic assertions of this research.
Being "positive" is important, being "happy" is also important. Its also important to express yourself and not bottle anything up. Waking up looking forward to the next day, everyday, is a big part of a long life. People who are happy with a simple life, live longer.
Who cares? And...the article is slightly unprofessional and the science? Kind weak. Now, how many studies have been conducted on extroverts who are dispatched early for being annoying?
Self-centered, shallow people sucking the energy out of others. No wonder they live longer.
Judging by the comments on here it makes me wonder what the suicide rate is among introverts. You people sound freakin miserable. Lighten up! Geesh!
Yet ANOTHER stereotype that introverts are miserable...um NO we're pissed at being put on the lower pedestal, being discriminated against in job searches, having people try and force us to change...that does NOT mean we are mentally ill, or suicidal.
That is one of the BIGGEST UNTRUE stereotypes about introverts, that we're "mentally ill". What a disgusting attitude, trying to paint us as crazies. Hate to be a bitch, but that was an attack on all introverts, and it's not fair to generalize as you just did.
You +1'd this publicly. Undo
"Contrary to popular stereotypes, though, being introverted does not mean a person is a "loner," is "antisocial" or is in any way abnormal."
Judging by YOUR comment, maybe you want to read that quote before you try and pass introverts off as suicidal crazies!!!!
This isn't news. Everyone knows that an ornery, loud, obnoxious person always lives longer.
Or at least it feels that way... ;)
First of all.....as the saying goes, The good die young. But putting that aside, it would be interesting to know how researchers went about selecting the centenarians? Is it possible that it is just more likely that when word was put out that researchers were looking for people over 100 years old that extroverts are more likely to respond and participate? Also as someone else noted already, introverts make up a smaller percentage of the population to begin with. So it should not come as a surprise that there are more 100 old extroverts. 90 years ago there were more 10 year old extroverts.
Its amazing how some unhappy ( so called) religious folks judge and look down at other people that are happy. God please help them.