Work hard and take pride, you'll live longer
Thursday October 23 2008
People who work hard and take pride in what they do are likely to live longer lives, a study has found.
Conscientious grafters reap the benefits of living a stable and less stressful life.
US scientists who pooled the results of 20 studies involving 8,900 people found that individuals who scored highly for consciensciousness were 50pc less likely to die at any given age than those who did not.
Outstripped
The effect outstripped the impact of status and intelligence, both of which are also associated with living for longer.
When the researchers divided the most conscientious into subgroups, they found that high achievers were the most likely to live the longest.
"These are people who are often seen as respectable members of the community, who contribute time and energy to society, co-operate with colleagues and neighbours, and are trustworthy,'' said the study, reported in New Scientist.
- John von Radowitz
