For decades, longevity advice has revolved around simple rules: exercise daily, eat well, avoid smoking, and limit alcohol. While biohackers like Bryan Johnson push the limits of anti-aging science, new research suggests that how you behave and describe yourself could be just as important for living a long, healthy life.
A study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, highlighted by UNILAD Tech , has uncovered specific personality traits that may influence lifespan, offering a fresh perspective on what it takes to reach 100.
Traits that add years to life
Professor Rene Mottus, co-author of the study and an expert in ageing, explained that the team examined nuanced self-descriptions rather than broad personality categories like extroversion or conscientiousness.
“Participants who described themselves as active were significantly less likely to die during the study period, showing a 21 percent lower risk, even after accounting for age, gender, and medical conditions,” said Prof. Mottus.
Other traits linked to longer life included being energetic, organised, responsible, hard-working, thorough, and helpful. These specific characteristics, the researchers found, predicted mortality risk more accurately than the five broad personality types psychologists usually rely on.
Small behaviors, big impact
Professor Páraic O’Súilleabháin of the University of Limerick, also a co-author, emphasized the precision of the findings:
“Our study suggests personality works not just as a general influence but as a set of specific behaviours and attitudes—and those individual characteristics have a measurable impact on longevity.”
Two people may both be extroverted, for example, but the one who channels their energy into helpful or hard-working activities appears more likely to live longer. Conversely, traits such as anxiety, moodiness, or frequent irritability were associated with a higher mortality risk.
How personality supports health
The researchers noted that traits like organisation may promote routines that improve health, while energetic or helpful behaviours could reflect psychological resilience and strong social habits, both of which contribute to a longer life.
“What our research does suggest is that personality could play a supporting role—one that's underestimated in medicine and public health,” Prof. O’Súilleabháin added.
Perhaps the most encouraging insight is that lifespan is not predetermined. Personality, like health, can be shaped, meaning that cultivating active, responsible, and helpful behaviours may truly add years to life, beyond what diet and exercise alone can achieve.
A study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, highlighted by UNILAD Tech , has uncovered specific personality traits that may influence lifespan, offering a fresh perspective on what it takes to reach 100.
Traits that add years to life
Professor Rene Mottus, co-author of the study and an expert in ageing, explained that the team examined nuanced self-descriptions rather than broad personality categories like extroversion or conscientiousness.
“Participants who described themselves as active were significantly less likely to die during the study period, showing a 21 percent lower risk, even after accounting for age, gender, and medical conditions,” said Prof. Mottus.
Other traits linked to longer life included being energetic, organised, responsible, hard-working, thorough, and helpful. These specific characteristics, the researchers found, predicted mortality risk more accurately than the five broad personality types psychologists usually rely on.
Small behaviors, big impact
Professor Páraic O’Súilleabháin of the University of Limerick, also a co-author, emphasized the precision of the findings:
“Our study suggests personality works not just as a general influence but as a set of specific behaviours and attitudes—and those individual characteristics have a measurable impact on longevity.”
Two people may both be extroverted, for example, but the one who channels their energy into helpful or hard-working activities appears more likely to live longer. Conversely, traits such as anxiety, moodiness, or frequent irritability were associated with a higher mortality risk.
How personality supports health
The researchers noted that traits like organisation may promote routines that improve health, while energetic or helpful behaviours could reflect psychological resilience and strong social habits, both of which contribute to a longer life.
“What our research does suggest is that personality could play a supporting role—one that's underestimated in medicine and public health,” Prof. O’Súilleabháin added.
Perhaps the most encouraging insight is that lifespan is not predetermined. Personality, like health, can be shaped, meaning that cultivating active, responsible, and helpful behaviours may truly add years to life, beyond what diet and exercise alone can achieve.
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