Howard Friedman - The Longevity Project

From a sophisticated scientific point of view, it makes no sense to think of a human body merely as an engine that needs to be oiled and tuned or as a plant that needs to be watered and fed. At its essence, individual health depends on social health.

One practical way to understand the threats to health and the likely best changes to be made is to match one’s own inclinations to one of the paths we have discovered. The self-assessments provided in the previous chapters are helpful in generating a profile. Fill out the scales, gather up the scores, and create a view of the key contours of your life. There are many variations of healthy and unhealthy pathways, but here are some of the most common ones.

If you are like Patricia, the conscientious sort with good friends and a happy marriage, you are likely on a very healthy pathway. The thoughtful planning and perseverance that such people invest in their relationships promote long life—naturally and automatically, even when challenges arise. Ironically, such prudent, persistent achievers with stable families and social support are usually the ones most concerned with what they should be doing to stay healthy. But they are already doing it.

We did not find that precisely living out your dreams matters much for your health. And being perfectly suited to one’s job did not always predict a longer life. Instead it was again the thoughtful planning, sense of control and accomplishment, and perseverance that helped, often as encouraged by one’s career successes.

Norris Bradbury, the scientist and Terman participant who oversaw the nation’s nuclear arsenal for many years at a time of severe Cold War tension, was not enfeebled by the relentless strain he encountered. Yes, such individuals face adrenaline surges and high-pressure deadlines, but our studies found hard work and accomplishment to be a strong predictor of long life. Along with his wife of sixty-four years, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Bradbury thrived. Shelley Smith Mydans, the Life reporter, was a world traveler, prisoner of war, and often-threatened correspondent, yet she was not done in by stress. Those who were the most successful were the ones least likely to die at any given age. Ambition was not a problem and taking it easy was not healthy. In fact, those men who were carefree, undependable, and unambitious in childhood and very unsuccessful in their careers had a whopping increase in their mortality risk. On the other hand, if you have lots of responsibilities on the job but few resources and little cooperation from your coworkers, it is time for a change.

If you are like John, the shy scientist, then you may have found a lesser-known but still viable path to long life. Although he never married, John found much satisfaction and reward in his work. He had a small but stable group of friends with whom he maintained close contacts, and his career path complemented his personal strengths—attention to detail, persistence, and a love of learning. John, a truthful, sensitive, and shy boy, discovered his path to health through his scientific career. He kept in touch with his wartime buddies (from his stint in intelligence work) but mostly found his friends through his job. He was generous in helping and mentoring his colleagues and students, and he stayed healthy.

If you live near a technological research company, university, or think tank—the kind of place where John worked—here is an interesting experiment to understand better why John stayed healthy. First, look at the non-research-affiliated people in the surrounding community—how much they weigh, what they eat, how they behave, and so on. Then go into the research setting and observe the researchers. You will probably find that there is a huge difference between these engaged scientists and the intelligent people in the general public—a difference reflected in terms of obesity, drinking, smoking, social activities, and more. The resulting health differences are not due to any single cause, but to the overall psychosocial milieu. The scientists like John have a whole array of influences that bring them to and keep them on the healthy paths. A similar comparison could be made by observing a group of clergy. Or take a look at people who work on an organic farm or in a health club. The groups you associate with often determine the type of person you become. For people who want improved health, association with other healthy people is usually the strongest and most direct path of change.

James was not a scientist like John, but he found an analogous, if unorthodox, path to long life. Tactful and sociable but initially not very conscientious, James nevertheless was able to develop a maturity that increased each year. Although his parents divorced, he himself had a good marriage, completed his education, and stayed in touch with his sensitive side—by gradually developing a deep satisfaction and pride in his work and his hobbies, especially his music and stage work. Individuals with an artistic or philosophical bent stayed healthy if they continued to be physically active, steadily matured, and then remained responsible.

When someone like Dr. Douglas Kelley follows the example of his subject—the notorious Nazi Hermann Goering—and swallows cyanide, it is rarely a bolt out of the blue. For most suicides and other deaths due to violent recklessness, there are precursors and warning signs—available signals of dangerous pathways. Those in a mental downward spiral following a disappointment often forge a path characterized by drinking, anxiety, depression, and catastrophizing, with premonitions of accidents or violence. Although some may try to hide it with an unnatural joviality, those who fit this pattern can often be recognized; as with cheery Paul, they are either avoiding something troubling or are much too careless and carefree.

Heading down an unhealthy path shouldn’t discourage anyone from attempting to bounce back. Those Terman participants who successfully took charge of their thoughts and stopped catastrophic thinking often returned to a more viable way, usually with the help of a spouse, therapist, or close friend.

To an outsider, Paul—cheerful and sociable, masculine and well liked—seemed to have it all, but he lived an unfortunately foreshortened life. In contrast, Jess Oppenheimer had a difficult childhood—often picked on and fighting with schoolmates—but the ironic striving that resulted from his challenges served him well once he became a highly successful Hollywood comedy writer. He got married, became a father, and led a stable but very active and creative long life. One key difference between the two lay in the function of the jokester role. Jess learned to use humor in a warmhearted, meaningful way, showing human foibles but also the importance of relationships. For him it was also a tool with which to make a good living. For Paul, in contrast, it seems to have served a different function—one more selfish and sardonic. His optimistic, carefree attitude encouraged him to underestimate risks to his health and to approach his career goals in a lackadaisical fashion. It even hindered the sorts of close, social bonds that are so important to long life. He was the life of the party, but with few true confidants. We’re not suggesting dampening your cheerfulness or humor, but rather challenging the idea that humor automatically causes health. In fact, as we saw, happiness does not cause good health; both happiness and health result from being on the right paths.