Sometimes, coming to an agreement with stubborn people can be a real struggle. However, a new study suggests that stubborn people live longer, compared to people who are not as headstrong. So, could stubbornness be connected to reaching up into your 90s?
The study suggesting just that was published on Tuesday in the journal, International Psychogeriatrics. The study discovered that characteristics such as stubbornness, optimism, love for family and country are common among some Italian people who aged to between 90 and 101. Another characteristic was also hardworking. This has been found by researchers from the University of Rome La Sapienza and the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Both universities studied 29 elderly Italians, and 51 of their family members who were aged between 50 and 75. They live in remote villages which are between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains.
The study discovered that the elderly people had worse physical health, but that these Italians who are near a century old, had better mental health compared to their younger relatives.
“I lost my beloved wife only a month ago and I am very sad for this. We were married for 70 years,” one of the people whose age was between 90 and 101 said to the researchers, according to the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. “I was close to her during all of her illness and I have felt very empty after her loss. But, thanks to my sons, I am now recovering and feeling much better. I have four children, 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. I have fought all my life and I am always ready for changes. I think changes bring life and give chances to grow.”
The study attributed the long life of headstrong people to the love of family, while on the other hand, others attributed long life to optimism during difficult situations. According to these statements, self-confidence and optimism could be the reasons why stubborn people live longer.
“The group’s love of their land is a common theme and gives them a purpose in life. Most of them are still working in their homes and on the land,” said the study’s author Anna Scelzo, from the University of California San Diego. “They think, ‘This is my life and I’m not going to give it up.’”
“We also found that this group tended to be domineering, stubborn and needed a sense of control,” Scelzo said. “Which can be a desirable trait as they are true to their convictions and care less about what others think.”
Perhaps stubborn people are hard to deal with. But now, there is another reason to be stubborn, optimistic, and self-confident. Could stubborn people actually live longer? There’s only one way to find out.
