Study Suggests That ‘Conscientiousness’
Is Key To Longevity
By Barbara Murphy
Contributing Writer
What is the single most important factor enabling an individual to live a long life?
The answer is not any of the usual suspects — eating well, sleeping well, exercising, going to church, or getting married.
The answer is “conscientiousness,” according to researchers who were involved in the “Terman study,” which followed the lives of 1,500 people for 80 years.
In their book, “The Longevity Project,” which traces the work begun by Dr. Lewis Terman in 1921, Dr. Howard S. Friedman and Dr. Leslie R. Martin write that while it is very important to live a healthy active life, the thing that will enable to you to live the longest is “conscientiousness,” which they describe as “the qualities of a prudent, persistent, well-organized person, like a scientist-professor — somewhat obsessive and not at all care-free.”
When Dr. Terman began his project, he selected “bright” children to participate because at the time he was interested in finding out whether potential leads to achievement. Dr. Terman attempted to measure the intellectual, volitional, moral, emotional, aesthetic, physical and social functioning of each child. As the years passed, Dr. Terman realized his study not only predicted achievement but also isolated factors leading to longevity.
Dr. Terman died in 1951, but his work was carried on by other researchers who nicknamed themselves the Termanators.
The Termanators made some very surprising findings, many of them at odds with conventional wisdom as to what makes for a long life.
Why do the conscientious stay healthier and live longer? The authors of the Longevity Project said that for one thing conscientious people do more things to protect their health and engage in fewer activities that are risky. But the most important factor, the authors said, is that conscientious people find there ways to happier marriages, better friendships and healthier work situations. “In other words,” the authors said, “conscientious people create healthy, long-life pathways for themselves.” They noted that even if you are not conscientious that doesn’t mean you’re stuck in a negative lifestyle. “People,” they said, “can and do change their patterns and habits when they seek out responsibility.”
Emphasizing the value of responsibility, Drs. Friedman and Martin said that a carefree life is usually a shorter life and that hard work and worry can be good for you.
People who worry, they said, tend to take better care of themselves and to solve the problems that life throws at them.
With respect to work, the authors advised that if you like what you’re doing, don’t retire. They said the common exhortations for staying healthy — “relax, don’t work too hard, and avoid stress — turn out to be poor advice.”
Yes, unbearable chronic stress is a killer, the authors said, but they insisted it’s important to distinguish between that kind of stress and the usual kinds of stress we find at work or school. The authors noted several examples of men who held highly stressful jobs like Norris Bradbury, who played a key role in developing the atomic bomb. He lived a long life — dying at age 88.
Work is good for you, the authors said, if it involves passion, a significant effort to succeed and achievement. Taking on increased responsibility, they added, “brings more challenges and a heavier workload but paradoxically this is helpful to long-term health.” (It also doesn’t hurt if you can call your own shots on the job. Drs. Friedman and Martin noted that bosses generally live longer than the people they boss.)
Though the authors put conscientiousness at the top of their list, social ties were a close second. Having a dependable, social network can literally save your life, they said. They noted its one reason women outlive men — women are better at building friendships and living active, altruistic lives.
The authors said one of the most important ways you can extend your life is by helping other people.
Going to church is good for you, primarily because it builds social ties and promotes opportunities for altruism.
While they don’t advocate that anyone stay in a hate-filled marriage, the authors said the Terman study showed that parental divorce may have life-long devastating effects on children, especially those children who thought their parents were happy together and who had no inkling a divorce was in the works. On the other hand, Drs. Friedman and Martin said that children constantly exposed to hostility between their parents were better off when the parents divorced.
While a happy marriage is one of the best things that can happen to you, the authors said, it is not necessary for good health and longevity. They said people who are single can achieve longevity as long as they have work about which they are passionate and a circle of friends they can depend upon.
Reading The Longevity Project persuaded me that we should all be like Bill Grun, who was the subject of a feature story by Emilie Lounsberry in the April 25th edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Mr. Grun, who is 90, taught shop classes for 64 years — that’s right 64 in the Bristol Township and Abington, PA public schools. Since “retiring,” he has been working one full day a week as a volunteer shop teacher at a Bucks County, PA middle school. Mr. Grun told Ms. Lounsberry, “I can’t not teach.” Though he’s not paid for his current teaching job, Mr. Grun said, “There’s a reward that comes that you can’t really measure that’s so good. I’ve had a great time.” Mr. Grun also helps out with afterschool programs and religious education classes at Doylestown, PA Presbyterian Church.
(The Longevity Project, by Howard S. Friedman, Ph.D, and Leslie R. Martin, Ph.D, published by Hudson Street Press, New York, NY, 248 pages, $25.95.)
Is Key To Longevity
By Barbara Murphy
Contributing Writer
What is the single most important factor enabling an individual to live a long life?
The answer is not any of the usual suspects — eating well, sleeping well, exercising, going to church, or getting married.
The answer is “conscientiousness,” according to researchers who were involved in the “Terman study,” which followed the lives of 1,500 people for 80 years.
In their book, “The Longevity Project,” which traces the work begun by Dr. Lewis Terman in 1921, Dr. Howard S. Friedman and Dr. Leslie R. Martin write that while it is very important to live a healthy active life, the thing that will enable to you to live the longest is “conscientiousness,” which they describe as “the qualities of a prudent, persistent, well-organized person, like a scientist-professor — somewhat obsessive and not at all care-free.”
When Dr. Terman began his project, he selected “bright” children to participate because at the time he was interested in finding out whether potential leads to achievement. Dr. Terman attempted to measure the intellectual, volitional, moral, emotional, aesthetic, physical and social functioning of each child. As the years passed, Dr. Terman realized his study not only predicted achievement but also isolated factors leading to longevity.
Dr. Terman died in 1951, but his work was carried on by other researchers who nicknamed themselves the Termanators.
The Termanators made some very surprising findings, many of them at odds with conventional wisdom as to what makes for a long life.
Why do the conscientious stay healthier and live longer? The authors of the Longevity Project said that for one thing conscientious people do more things to protect their health and engage in fewer activities that are risky. But the most important factor, the authors said, is that conscientious people find there ways to happier marriages, better friendships and healthier work situations. “In other words,” the authors said, “conscientious people create healthy, long-life pathways for themselves.” They noted that even if you are not conscientious that doesn’t mean you’re stuck in a negative lifestyle. “People,” they said, “can and do change their patterns and habits when they seek out responsibility.”
Emphasizing the value of responsibility, Drs. Friedman and Martin said that a carefree life is usually a shorter life and that hard work and worry can be good for you.
People who worry, they said, tend to take better care of themselves and to solve the problems that life throws at them.
With respect to work, the authors advised that if you like what you’re doing, don’t retire. They said the common exhortations for staying healthy — “relax, don’t work too hard, and avoid stress — turn out to be poor advice.”
Yes, unbearable chronic stress is a killer, the authors said, but they insisted it’s important to distinguish between that kind of stress and the usual kinds of stress we find at work or school. The authors noted several examples of men who held highly stressful jobs like Norris Bradbury, who played a key role in developing the atomic bomb. He lived a long life — dying at age 88.
Work is good for you, the authors said, if it involves passion, a significant effort to succeed and achievement. Taking on increased responsibility, they added, “brings more challenges and a heavier workload but paradoxically this is helpful to long-term health.” (It also doesn’t hurt if you can call your own shots on the job. Drs. Friedman and Martin noted that bosses generally live longer than the people they boss.)
Though the authors put conscientiousness at the top of their list, social ties were a close second. Having a dependable, social network can literally save your life, they said. They noted its one reason women outlive men — women are better at building friendships and living active, altruistic lives.
The authors said one of the most important ways you can extend your life is by helping other people.
Going to church is good for you, primarily because it builds social ties and promotes opportunities for altruism.
While they don’t advocate that anyone stay in a hate-filled marriage, the authors said the Terman study showed that parental divorce may have life-long devastating effects on children, especially those children who thought their parents were happy together and who had no inkling a divorce was in the works. On the other hand, Drs. Friedman and Martin said that children constantly exposed to hostility between their parents were better off when the parents divorced.
While a happy marriage is one of the best things that can happen to you, the authors said, it is not necessary for good health and longevity. They said people who are single can achieve longevity as long as they have work about which they are passionate and a circle of friends they can depend upon.
Reading The Longevity Project persuaded me that we should all be like Bill Grun, who was the subject of a feature story by Emilie Lounsberry in the April 25th edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Mr. Grun, who is 90, taught shop classes for 64 years — that’s right 64 in the Bristol Township and Abington, PA public schools. Since “retiring,” he has been working one full day a week as a volunteer shop teacher at a Bucks County, PA middle school. Mr. Grun told Ms. Lounsberry, “I can’t not teach.” Though he’s not paid for his current teaching job, Mr. Grun said, “There’s a reward that comes that you can’t really measure that’s so good. I’ve had a great time.” Mr. Grun also helps out with afterschool programs and religious education classes at Doylestown, PA Presbyterian Church.
(The Longevity Project, by Howard S. Friedman, Ph.D, and Leslie R. Martin, Ph.D, published by Hudson Street Press, New York, NY, 248 pages, $25.95.)
