worried about here some reasons optimism

“Purpose” has already been shown in many studies to be a prime factor in elders’ happiness as they age. The second invokes the idea that people can set goals and control important aspects of their own future.īy this definition, optimism is highly related to having a sense of agency and purpose. However, in the 2020 longevity research, optimism is defined as “a general expectation that good things will happen or believing that the future will be favorable because we can control important outcomes.” These definitions are strikingly dissimilar. In research cited in The Longevity Project, optimism is defined as “a carefree attitude” toward life. How is it possible that recent research on optimism contradicts earlier research, especially in the area of longevity? The answer may lie in different definitions of optimism. These findings are in line with studies showing that dementia is not inevitable but can be staved off by modifying a variety of health behaviors. If the optimistic partner practiced healthy behaviors such as eating right and exercising, the other partner was more likely to follow suit. In a study that followed 4,500 heterosexual partners for eight years, researchers found that one optimistic partner served to stave off risk factors leading to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive decline in the other partner. Optimism appears to be good not only for an individual’s health but also for their partner’s health. As summarized by two of the study’s authors, “Our findings showed that memory declined with age … However, individuals with higher levels of positive affect had a less steep memory decline over the course of almost a decade.” Individuals with “positive affect,” that is, who felt enthusiastic and cheerful, were less likely to experience memory decline as they aged. That is the conclusion of a 2020 study in the journal Psychological Science. These results are in line with previous studies that have shown that optimism reduces the risk of premature death in both mid-life and later life.Ī positive outlook on life is associated with less memory decline.

How might optimism affect longevity? The authors of the study explain that “Optimistic individuals tend to have goals and the confidence to reach them thus, optimism may foster health-promoting habits and bolster resistance of unhealthy impulses through greater engagement with one’s goals, more efficacious problem-solving, and adjustment of goals when they become unattainable.” In survey research which followed 69,744 women and 1,429 men over 10-30 years, researchers discovered that “individuals with greater optimism are more likely to live longer and to achieve ‘exceptional longevity,’ that is, living to age 85 or older.” This result held true even after accounting for chronic illnesses, health behaviors, depression, and age. Then, since (spoiler alert) it does seem that an optimistic attitude does yield health benefits, I’ll suggest four activities to stimulate a more optimistic mindset. After describing the research, I’ll speculate about why the earlier and more recent studies seem to contradict each other. Here are the results of recent studies that tell a happier story about the effects of optimism on longevity, memory, and intimate relationships. However, recent research presents a more nuanced and, well, optimistic picture of the relationship between optimism, longevity, and health. By contrast, their research pointed to the personality trait of conscientiousness as the key to long life.

Tracing the life histories of children labeled cheerful and optimistic by parents and teachers, they discovered that “cheerful and optimistic children were less likely to live to an old age than their more staid and sober counterparts!” They speculated that carefree attitudes might lead to riskier behaviors such as drinking and smoking or less regard for a healthy lifestyle in general. Martin argued in their 2011 book, The Longevity Factor, that cheerfulness and optimism were not likely to lead to longevity. Past research has painted a surprisingly gloomy picture of the relationship between optimism and long life.įor example, Howard S. Does an optimistic attitude have health benefits as we age? The question is important because if optimism does lead to healthier aging, then programs could be developed to bolster an optimistic mindset in both the old and the young.

Worried about here some reasons optimism