Parents always like their children to become more sociable. It seems like kids who are shy are less likely to build a happy and healthy life later in their lives. However, the study suggests that sociable children do not live longer.
Sociability is a double-edged sword. Extroverted people are more likely to feel social pressure toward drinking and smoking, and more sociable Terman study participants grew up to drink more and smoke more over the decades. Interestingly, extroverted people even find the rewards of alcohol- or tobacco-induced buzz inherently more appealing.
When I read the beginning of the chapter, I thought that the reason why extroverted people on average do not live as long as introverted people is that they are more likely to develop a variety of social connections and thus are more exposed to stresses coming from interpersonal relationships. On top of that, as mentioned in the book, sociability is an important trait that will influence what occupation a person takes. Scientists are most likely to be introverted people, while lawyers, businessmen, and salesmen are more extroverted. Scientists and business men have very different work environment. Scientists’ work does not involve that much of persuasion and establishing relationships when compared with salesmen’s work. The nature of their work influences how they consider drinking and smoking behavior.
I realized that it is not a direct cause and effect relationship between a personality trait and health. A person’s character would cause a series of chain reactions. Health condition is like the final form of these responses.
I thought it was interesting how you called sociability a double-edged sword. I do agree with that statement- being sociability definitely has its upsides, but it also does have its downsides, such as exposing one to more dangerous health behaviors.
I also liked your logic behind your belief behind why extroverted people do not live as long as introverted people. I thought it was interesting because it was a perspective I did not consider before. In my Clinical Neuroscience course, I learned about how stress does indeed take a toll on health after a period of time. Maybe it is possible that extroverted people do encounter more stress due to the amount of interpersonal relationships they have, along with other factors that cause them to live shorter lives.