American researchers noted that most long-lived people are characterized by certain personality traits and a positive attitude to life. The results were published in Aging.
It was found that the subjects, who were at least 95 years old, were optimistic, outgoing, easygoing and appreciated the role of laughter in human life. It was easy for them to show their emotions, they did not hide their feelings. They were also involved in various activities and had an extensive social network (many friends and relatives).
When we examined the personalities of these 243 century-olds, we found that they clearly showed a positive attitude towards life, said Nir Barzilai, director of Einstein’s Institute for Aging Research and co-author of the study.
Until now, longevity has been associated with the influence of genes on health. It has been suspected that some people can live longer because they have high levels of good cholesterol.
Now it is known that longevity is also probably a consequence of genes related to basic personality traits.
There is evidence that personality can change between the ages of 70 and 100, so we don’t know if our XNUMX-year-olds possessed certain personality traits throughout their lives. However, the results of our study suggest that centenarians share specific traits and that the genetic basis of personality may play an important role in achieving both good health and extraordinary longevity, comments Barzilai.