Men who were less enterprising (in terms of their personalities) but found themselves holding enterprising jobs were also at relatively high mortality risk. The stressful enterprising jobs brought out latent unhealthy tendencies and they faced more stress and poorer health habits. But the less enterprising still weren’t as badly off as the “always on” personalities working in jobs that required them to be go-getters.
The one case in which a good career-to-personality match was helpful was the Social category. Men with social personality types (cooperative and having good people skills) who were working in social environments (like counseling) did live longer.
Overall, our findings revealed that when choosing a career, finding the “perfect match” doesn’t necessarily put one on a path toward long life. This doesn’t mean that choosing one’s career path is unimportant. All of us have things that we detest doing, and naturally it would not be smart to intentionally choose a job that requires these activities day after day, year after year. But living out one’s dreams was not what led to health and longevity. It was a productive perseverance, a sense of mastery and accomplishment buoyed by one’s career successes, that did that. We hope this is a comforting finding for students and young people on the brink of life-shaping career choices.
Aging, Productivity, and Health
But what about older participants? What were the impacts of productivity on long life for those who had already completed the most rigorous part of their career? We looked to the 720 Terman participants—both men and women—who were still alive in the 1980s, at which time most were over seventy years old. We studied whether each person was still productive, motivated, and accomplishing things. Some of the Terman participants continued to work for pay, either part-time or full-time. Others were pursuing new educational opportunities or setting new goals and achieving new awards. Some were motivated to work for social change or make a new contribution to society. We compared those who were highly productive in old age to those who were taking it easy and were not so concerned with racking up accomplishments.
The findings were dramatic. Looking over the next two decades, the continually productive men and women lived much longer than their more laid-back comrades. This productive orientation mattered more than their social relationships or their sense of happiness and well-being.74
Again, it was their prudence, dependability, and perseverance that made the difference. The highly productive elderly Terman subjects were those who, earlier in life, had been assessed as the most conscientious. They were also less likely to be heavy drinkers or carousers. It was not the happiest or the most relaxed older participants who lived the longest. It was those who were most engaged in pursuing their goals.
But Were They Happy?
Skeptics might wonder whether hard workers are really enjoying life. Are they missing out on enjoying the good things? Just as we previously found that conscientious, dependable people are not leading boring and stale lives, we now found that productive, hardworking people (even in old age) are not stressed and miserable, but tend to be happier, healthier, and more socially connected than their less productive peers.
Other researchers have found the same thing (though not via life-span studies): People who have meaningful and important jobs and who are especially productive are much happier than those who are unpressured, lackadaisical slackers.75 People on the right pathways to long life work harder in their jobs. And they not only stay healthier but they are happier to boot. People like Norris Bradbury, Edward Dmytryk, and Shelley Smith Mydans are thrivers and survivors.
Is Education the Key?
In the classic film The Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow complains resentfully that he has only straw in his head but no brains. Yet as he and the other characters journey down the Yellow Brick Road to seek help from the Wizard, the Scarecrow repeatedly behaves in a clever and wise manner, with many excellent ideas.
When the characters finally reach the Land of Oz, the Wizard says to the Scarecrow, “Anybody can have a brain.” The Wizard even helpfully points out that universities are full of professors who think deep thoughts “with no more brains than you have.” But the Wizard then admits to the Scarecrow that wise, successful, and well-educated individuals “have one thing you haven’t got—a diploma!” So he presents a diploma and the expectations that go along with it. With the proper credentials in hand, a bright individual not only has the capacity to succeed but has the motivation and confidence to thrive.
The better-educated Terman participants did tend to live longer than their equally bright peers. But as we described in chapter 6, level of education was not a strong predictor of later health and longevity, especially as compared to other individual, social, and career predictors. Rather, it was the high expectations, perseverance, and the patterns of accomplishment that were important.
If you are better educated and more productive in life—successful at work and likely to continue to grow and be creative—the success flows over into other domains of your life. This means that education per se is not enough. Instead, it is becoming the kind of person who is able and motivated to take the helm through life’s personal and social passages that makes the biggest difference.
What It Means for You: Guideposts to Health and Long Life
Edward Dmytryk’s mother died when he was very young, and he had a rough childhood. He lived a life full of great challenges and great successes and now rests in Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. He lived ninety years and his films will live on for many more. Mr. Dmytryk and his fellow hardworking, stressed, but successful Terman subjects were the ones who thrived. It was not at all the case that hard work was unhealthy, and it was not at all true that the long-lived led uninteresting lives.
Like Shelley Smith Mydans, many of the long-living Terman participants faced times when they had to do such things as pick weevils out of their cereal. What our research makes clear is that working hard to overcome adversity or biting off more than you can chew—and then chewing it—does not generally pose a health risk. Striving to accomplish your goals, setting new aims when milestones are reached, and staying engaged and productive are exactly what those following the guideposts to a long life tend to do. The long-lived didn’t shy away from hard work for fear that the stress of it would lead to an early demise; the exact opposite seems true!
Finding the perfect career to match your personality and preferences is not the way to guarantee success or long life. Many Terman subjects found themselves in less-than-ideal jobs and yet attained great success and satisfaction. Others who did find a perfect career match ended up risking their health because occupational demands accentuated their natural tendencies toward unhealthy patterns. Instead of their smarts or the career counseling they received, it was their spirited drive and take-charge attitude that spurred the successful Terman participants toward accomplishment and, surprisingly, to especially long lives.
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For a study of personality, productivity, and longevity see H. S. Friedman, M. L. Kern, and C. A. Reynolds, “Personality and Health, Subjective Well-Being, and Longevity,”
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The study of meaningful jobs and happiness is S. Lyubomirsky, L. A. King, and E. Diener, “The Benefits of Frequent Positive Affect: Does Happiness Lead to Success?”