I would have liked to show my parents this chapter of the reading because they have long disapproved of my shy nature. While they did not exactly believe that my shyness would affect my longevity, they were frequently were under the impression that being shy was necessarily a bad attribute. This portion of the book enabled me to confirm that this trait was not inherently as terrible or as harmful as my parents had lead me to believe. In fact, it is comforting to know that one ideal situation between isolation and a plethora of relationships would be an individual with a small close knit group of connections. While I do find safety in that, I want to know of more ways to increase sociability as a way to combat my deeply entrenched anxiety in social situations. This is briefly alluded to in this chapter however, because it was not the main focus of text, it was not too developed. Another interesting point is that a high sociability can be detrimental to one’s longevity due to how it can lead one to be more likely to develop damaging, sycophantic, and/or toxic relationships. This makes me wonder about the longevity of those who are the source of these unhealthy relationships. In other words, how long do those who are toxic live when they surround themselves with good-willed, highly sociable people?
I appreciate your reflection of this chapter, because this book also made me think of all the myths and rumors I have heard of or read about regarding longevity. Furthermore, while I was incredibly shy in elementary and middle school, others told me this was harmful, but never discussed the affects of my sociability, or lack thereof, in terms of longevity. I think the question you ask at the end of your reflection is very interesting and wonder if there has been much research on this topic.