For the majority of the past week, I really thought I was a goner. After reviewing more than 160 studies, a group of researchers have just released their findings which link a positive outlook on life with longevity. This means the more optimistic and happy you are, the longer you will live. Basically, that double rainbow guy on YouTube is going to enjoy eternal life. And what will happen to a cynic like me? Well, I might as well pack it in. I have lived to see the legal drinking age. That should be enough.
Fortunately, my bleak outlook was alleviated by a counter-study being presented in a new book called “The Longevity Project.” The authors, who use research that has been ongoing since 1921, have come to a few surprising conclusions about factors which encourage a long life. Howard Friedman, one of the authors, has gone so far as to say, “We keep hearing this advice to cheer up and stay happy because it will keep you healthy. We just disagree with that after seeing the results of the study.”
With these two contradictory findings, it is now difficult to discern whether it is better for survival to look at the glass of arsenic as half-empty or half-full. Life’s most important question has just become “to smile or not to smile?” A closer look at both studies will hopefully give an answer.
The study that suggested a cheerful disposition meant a longer life was conducted over a span of 40 years and found that of the 5,000 participants, the more pessimistic subjects were likely to kick the bucket earlier. People suffering from constant stress and anxiety were also found to have a greater propensity for disease. On the basis of this particular study, it seems those sleepless nights spent furiously studying for exams and anxiously finishing papers may lead to deadly consequences. Sure, being at the top of your class may be great but you won’t have any time to appreciate it. That A might just kill you. I’m sure “Summa Cum Laude” will look very impressive on your gravestone!
“The Longevity Project,” on the other hand, claims that a daily dose of stress just may be a key ingredient of the elixir of life. The study found that those who worked harder and longer at their careers were also more likely to postpone their move to that pearly-gated retirement community in the sky. People who allow themselves to worry often take care better care of themselves and are more intuitive as to when something is wrong and needs attention. Interestingly, this study also concluded that the people who live longest are men who have divorced and remarried. Of course, this fact is no surprise since Larry King has already proved it.
Perhaps the best conclusion would be to combine both of these studies in order to create the ultimate strategy for how to join the centurion club. The happier you are, the more you probably enjoy life and thus, the longer you want to extend it. At the same time, a carefree attitude will only get you so far and a life of hard work means you are goal-orientated and constantly strive for satisfaction. Having a purpose in mind or a goal to reach would certainly encourage longevity as well.
However, there is one factor that almost always trumps attitude. That is genetics. You could be the happiest, hardest worker in the world, but if grandma and grandpa died before they went entirely gray, things are not looking too good. Take my great-grandmother, for example. She lived until she was 103 and a couple of her magical health habits included smoking for 70 years and drinking a Manhattan every night. For the last 20 years of her life, she also liked to constantly remind the family at every gathering that this would be her last. She was a glass completely-empty kind of person. In the end, it’s probably nature over nurture (perhaps with the addition of a nightly martini) that’ll help you celebrate your 100th birthday.
On one last note, a third less publicized British study has also been released with some very encouraging results for my fellow Class of 2011 seniors. Apparently, the happiest demographic is those under 25, unemployed and not looking for a job. If there really is a link between happiness and longevity then in this case, given the current job market, we will live forever!
Steph Hagen is a senior at the College of Arts and Sciences and a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. She can be reached at shagen@bu.edu.
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