Why Optimistic People Live Longer

Comparing life expectancy to life outlook has always been a topic of debate. Some people claim that optimists live long and healthy lives while others feel that pessimists will outlive their brighter counterparts. It is true that pessimists are more likely to take time to plan for negative events, but optimists do a much better job at handling adverse situations. Here are some reasons which may reinforce the claim that optimists live longer. 

Increased Relationships: Optimists tend to have more deep and lasting friendships than do pessimists. People like to surround themselves with others who can bring up their mood and help them out through times of distress. Having a strong social network can help even the most optimistic people get through tough life events. Pessimists who are less likely to have these strong relationships are more likely to weather tough events on their own.

Less Stress: Pessimists spend a lot of time planning for bad events and uncertainty, but all of this planning can lead to stress and chronic anxiety. Focusing on worst case scenarios is always emotionally draining. People who are more stressed are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure or experience heart attacks. Stress can also negatively affect metabolism, so those who are more stressed may also be at increased risk of obesity. Those who are stressed are more likely to become sick and are often less capable of warding off disease.

Better Balance: Optimistic people are easier to please and satisfy than many pessimists. As a result many optimists find satisfaction from simple things and may worry less about becoming rich and having material possessions than pessimists. This leads optimists to be less likely to overwork themselves and more likely to have extra time to devote to living healthy and more balances lives.

While studies will probably continue to churn out conflicting information about the life expectancies of optimists vs. pessimists, I feel that these factors give optimists an edge.