Science Explains Why Stubborn People Live Longer and Are More Hard Working

The word ‘stubborn’ sometimes has negative connotations. When someone tells you that you’re stubborn, what they’re saying is that you’re awkward by disagreeing with them, or that you need a change of attitude. However, it’s possible that stubbornness is a good thing, according to new studies into determining behavior.

When you take a good look at what benefits there are to being stubborn, it turns out that there are plenty. Sticking to your opinion shows you’re strong-minded, for one thing.

It’s also a sign of optimism – it proves that you believe in your mindset, and you trust yourself to be right in most cases. After all, what’s more, positive than imagining your mindset?

If that wasn’t enough, being stubborn has also been found to be a sign of being a hard worker and being likely to live longer. Next time you’re redoing your CV, now you can put right at the top ‘stubborn and hard-working, and likely to live forever!’ So what is the reason behind this connection, and why should we learn to own our stubborn nature?

The study at hand looked at Italian pensioners between the ages of ninety and one hundred and one. The aim was to see if there was a standard connection between their generation and psychological traits. What they found was incredible.

As it happens, being stubborn is an evolutionary method of survival. The older people who studied all had stubbornness in common, and they were perceived to have better mental health than the rest of their family.

Though other factors are at play – for example, when the older generation was in the early stages of their lives, jobs were less competitive, and housing was cheaper, relieving them of a lot of stress – it does make sense that a strong-mindset aids you throughout life. If it helps you live longer too, that’s got to be a bonus, right?

The study also showed that positivity was a factor at play. When the family members of the pensioners were asked about the individual’s personality, they often reported signs of both stubbornness and positivity.

This won’t come as a surprise to many. Many members of the older generation generate thick skin and tend to be more stubborn people. This could be down to a lifetime of experience, but it also shows that their attitude has carried them this far.

This stubborn outlook on life has a lot of benefits. Those who stick to their beliefs tend to disregard negativity towards their attitude. This often means stubborn people are happier and don’t get bogged down with what people think of them. It takes a lot of stress off of social perception, for sure.

This study is interesting in particular because the focus is on mental ties to old age, rather than physical factors. While many studies focus on eating healthily, exercising regularly, and opting out of smoking and drinking, this offers a new secret to living for a long time.

It should also be noted that these pensioners lived in rural villages. Why is this significant, you ask? Well, it’s possible the small-town communities the pensioners were a part of inspired a healthy mindset in life. In their culture, their connection to family, friends, and religion was strong, pushing them towards good mental health.

The work ethic of these exceptional pensioners was also thought to be very good. Combined with their stubbornness and positivity, these OAPs are seemingly an unstoppable force. Maybe it’s time we all moved out to the countryside and learned the secret to unlocking old age.

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Hayley Anderton

Hayley Anderton is a Creative Writing graduate from Liverpool. She’s a freelance writer and the self-published novelist of the LGBT YA book, Double Bluff. She doesn’t go anywhere without a notepad and has been writing ever since she can remember. Her other interests include baking, talking about politics and feminism, and snuggling up with her cat. She has dreams of traveling the world with her best friends, and of being a well-known author someday.