People with optimistic outlooks tend to live longer than their more negative peers, researchers at Boston University School of Medicine have found. The study drew on data from two long-running studies of Americans aged over 60: one of 1,500 male war veterans, and one of 70,000 female nurses. At the start of both, the participants had completed questionnaires to gauge how optimistic they were, and had also been asked about other factors likely to influence their longevity, including diet, health and exercise.
Analysis of the data, adjusted to take account of these “confounders”, revealed that most optimistic participants lived 10% to 15% longer on average than the least optimistic ones, and that they were significantly more likely to live to the age of 85. “Healthier behaviours and lower levels of depression only partially explained our findings,” said lead researcher Dr Lewina Lee. “Initial evidence from other studies suggests that more optimistic people tend to have goals and the confidence to reach them, are more effective in problem-solving, and they may be better at regulating their emotions during stressful situations.” The exciting possibility raised by the findings, she added, is that we may be able to “promote healthy and resilient ageing by cultivating psycho-social assets such as optimism” in people. (The Week, 7 September 2019)
It is hard to remain an optimist given the climate crisis and the emergence all over the world of corrupt so-called “strong men”, whose motivation is primarily to stay where they are (on top) indefinitely, and enrich themselves and their cronies.
Peace of mind and happiness comes most consistently when education is good and accessible , everyone has access to decent healthcare, when the gap between rich and poor is minimized, and there are opportunities for advancement and self- improvement for everyone regardless of race or birth.
This seems as if it should be glaringly obvious, but clearly, as far as huge swathes of humanity are concerned, it is anything but. We are miles askew from mass ataraxia.
The ACES study is also relevant in this context, because it shows that those who suffered great trauma or neglect in childhood tend to have shorter lives. Perhaps the data from optimism studies and ACES data will show the missing ingredient that allows some folks to overcome early trauma to heal and live longer lives. A skill that probably explains more than the need for repose is “resiliency” – the ability to heal from trauma and re-heal as needed during life. There’s been some research done on resiliency but much more needs to be done. The wisdom of the ACES study is that injured people carry the injury their whole life, adding to the specific causes of death too early, unless or until they can actually heal the injury it via resilience, attachment, and perhaps repose.
Given that Epicurus understood that the longest, biggest, and greatest portion of anything was not the standard for what is good, but rather the most pleasant, it makes sense to foster pleasant emotions and attitudes, of which optimism is one, for regardless of the length of life, “the wise seek to enjoy the time which is most pleasant and not merely that which is longest.” Letter to Menoeceus.