Those with the most positive outlook live longest, says study

For all those pessimists among you, there’s some even worse news. Optimists appear to live longer, the Daily Mail reports.

According to research, those who make 100-plus tend to have a sunny disposition.
Scientists who studied 243 centenarians found that, far from being world-weary, most were cheerful and sociable.

The positive personality traits may in part be genetically based, the researchers believe.
The study involved Ashkenazi Jews from eastern Europe. They are good candidates for gene studies because they are genetically similar to one another.

Tests showed that the study group had lower ‘neurotic personality’ scores than a representative sample of the general population.

They also had higher scores for being conscientious. Nir Barzilai, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Institute for Aging Research in New York, said: ‘We found qualities that clearly reflect a positive attitude towards life. ‘Most were outgoing, optimistic and easygoing. ‘They considered laughter an important part of life and had a large social network. They expressed emotions openly rather than bottling them up.’