I thought chapter 2 was interesting, especially since I have previously read studies on the benefits of being a conscientious person. The study, “predicting academic success in higher education: what’s more important than being smart?”, by Kappa et al. concluded that consciousness was the best predictor of college success, even over IQ.
The Longevity Project, supports a similar idea about conscientiousness, and how it is the best childhood personality predictor of longevity. Not only is conscientiousness the best predictor of longevity when measured in childhood, it is also the best personality predictor of long life when measured in adulthood.
I thought it was interesting why conscientious individuals tend to live longer. The book stated that the three reasons are that conscientious people do more things to protect their health, some people are biologically predisposed to be both more conscientious and healthier, and, lastly, having a conscientious personality leads you into healthier situations and relationships. Due to these reasons, unconsciousness people are also more likely to suffer from chronic conditions.
I was thankful to score moderately high on the conscientious scale, so hopefully I live a long and healthy life!