Chapter 13 & 14

Chapter 13:

Women tend to outlive men, and this chapter focuses on analyzing factors that may influence longevity in men and women. It is interesting that regardless of gender, those who had masculine traits tended to have shorter lives than those who were feminine. It is not your sex that determines how long you live, but rather certain characteristics you possess- and whether those characteristics are deemed as “masculine” or “feminine.” One of the reasons for this may be because “masculine” people tend to engage in more risky behaviors, or may smoke and be more impulsive than those who lean towards the feminine side.

The authors of the book point out that one reason for their findings that women tended to outlive men is because back in the day, men provided financial stability and were the ones who had to work in toxic environments, which made them more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. On the other hand, women tended to stay home in more “safer” environments and were thus less likely to contract the disease. It is likely that if this study was conducted today, results may be different because there are some households where the mother works more than the father. In my household for example, my mom works more hours a week than my mom, and tends to make a higher income than he does.

Chapter 14:

Why do some people who go through traumatic events and face unthinkable things in their lives manage to live longer while others don’t? Chapter 14 explores the factors that influence longevity in soldiers who have experienced war and trauma. The authors studied the long-term effects of serving in the armed forces, and analyzed if fighting on the field, being shot at, and witnessing death increased stress, and if these soldiers passed away at an earlier age. The connection between personality type and fighting in the war is interesting. Phillip, who is careless, vain, and impulsive fought the Japanese in a stressful Pacific operation. It is likely that since Phillip was a careless and impulsive child, he behaved the same way on the battlefield.

The authors make a point to mention that stress is negative only when it veers you off the path and inhibits you from steering the wheel back to safety. Not all soldiers who went through the war died young. Those who chose to engage in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and alcohol were more likely to die of young age, but those who turned their lives around did not. The studies done by the authors demonstrate that it is not stress itself that causes men to live a shorter life, but the behaviors they exhibit due to stress and painful experiences.