I was a bit surprised by some of the results in this chapter. When I read that highly successful men lived on average 5 years longer than the least successful, I was shocked, as I tend to associate higher success with high levels of stress of individuals throughout their lives. However, with success usually comes money, and logically, if these individuals had more money as a result of their success, they had more resources in regard to living a healthy life, and more access to healthcare. It was also comforting to read that “living out one’s dream” does not contribute to longevity or health, as many individuals may believe. I think that many students and young adults feel pressured to “chase their dreams” no matter what, so it is comforting to know that this is not as beneficial as we may think.
I think you made a really good point that the more successful people may live longer lives because they do have a higher income, and therefore have access to many more things. I also believe that overcoming obstacles and stressors within a successful career can be beneficial to one’s health. It is comforting to hear information like this, as we are current college students probably experiencing a decent amount of stress and pressure to be successful. It is good to know that stress, when presented in moderate amounts, isn’t always detrimental to our health.