All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Good character allows a person to live longer
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Centenarians who have managed to cross the 100-year mark are cheerful and positive people, American experts have stated. Another unexpected conclusion was that a good character can be partly determined by genetics.
The study was conducted as part of the Longevity Genes Project. Experts examined more than 500 Ashkenazi Jews who had passed the 95-year mark, as well as 700 of their descendants.
Nir Barzilai, the lead researcher at the Institute for Aging Research at Einstein College of Medicine, said: “When we examined more than 240 centenarians, we found that they all had great personalities, were socially active, and had a positive outlook on life. They all believed that laughter was an important part of life, and they were not shy about expressing their emotions openly.”
According to the test results, people over 97.6 years old have the lowest scores on the "neurotic personality" scale than other segments of the population. These people also have higher responsibility scores. Experts also claim that life expectancy and character are related.
[ 1 ]