A study, conducted over twenty-five years on a group of 160,000 women, has shown that the most optimistic people live an average of four years longer than the others.
Article written by
Published
Reading time : 2 min.
What if you saw the glass half full? This could allow you to improve your life expectancy. This is the conclusion of a large study conducted by the American Society of Geriatrics (link in English). This study was conducted on a very large group of 160,000 women, aged 50 to 80. The researchers measured their level of optimism through psychological tests, then classified them into four groups, from the most pessimistic to the most optimistic. These groups were comparable: they mixed different social classes, different levels of study and cultural backgrounds.
After 25 years of follow-up, the researchers came to this conclusion: being optimistic leads to a longer life. Indeed, the researchers found in the group of the most optimistic a life expectancy increased by more than 5% compared to the groups of the most pessimistic women. Concretely, if we base ourselves on a life expectancy of 85 years, women who take life on the bright side therefore have a “bonus” of just over four years of additional life.
It also works for men. A previous study (link in English) among 1,500 American civil servants – all men – had in fact already shown that the probability of reaching or exceeding the age of 90 increases with optimism.
According to the researchers, this link between longevity and optimism exists independently of social level and living environment. Optimists are more resistant to stress, depression, anger and better regulate their emotions. This leads to a kind of hormonal and biochemical protection that is rather beneficial for the organism. The synthesis of 15 medical studies involving 230,000 people has also shown that optimism is associated with a significant reduction in cardiovascular risk. Other research has shown a better prognosis for recovery for optimists with chronic conditions because they believe more in the effectiveness of treatments and therefore follow them more scrupulously.
But let the pessimists be reassured: a killjoy can become optimistic and increase his life expectancy. The various research carried out on positive psychology show that optimism would be biologically determined for a part ranging from 30% to 50%. The remaining 50% to 70% are acquired during life, through encounters and experiences. So it’s never too late to see the glass half full.