Eight Personality Traits That Will Propel You To The Century Mark

What if the secret to living past 100 wasn't in your DNA at all? For decades, we've been told that genetics hold the key to longevity, but groundbreaking new research suggests otherwise. Your genes might be far less important than you think. A team of researchers set out to discover what sets centenarians apart—and what they found had nothing to do with pills, superfoods, or family history. It all comes down to something much more personal… something you can change.

Key Takeaways

• Genes play a minor role in how long and healthfully you live—only about 17% of your longevity is inherited.

• Personality traits like vitality, resilience, and social connectedness were common among healthy centenarians.

• These traits can be developed at any age, offering a pathway to healthier aging regardless of your genetic background.

Longevity Secrets Revealed: It’s Not in Your DNA

When it comes to living a long and healthy life, many experts point to your genes. But the leading anti-aging researchers don’t agree.

That’s right, having certain genetic traits can increase your chances of reaching 100 years of age in relatively good health, yet genes are not as important to healthy aging as you’ve been led to believe. The leading research shows your genes only influence your longevity by as much as 17 percent, according to one aging expert.

What makes up the other 83 percent? Diet, lifestyle, and personality.

Much has been written about the influence of your diet and lifestyle on the way your body ages, but far less about your personality traits. That’s why we want to tell you about a new study that discovered eight key personality traits shared by healthy centenarians. How many of these do you possess?

We’re more than just our physical bodies; we’re minds and spirits too. While a good quality diet and regular exercise are both vital for keeping fit and healthy, our personalities, attitudes, and beliefs are also important factors in healthy aging.

Researchers from Spain wanted to identify the most important personality traits for a long life. They interviewed 19 centenarians, including 16 women and three men aged between 100 and 107. All were free from cognitive impairment and still in reasonably good physical shape during the study. Here’s what the team found…

Eight personality traits centenarians share

• Vitality: This refers to feeling alive, alert, and full of energy. The healthiest and longest lived people enjoy living and want to continue to do so. Their energy is reflected in their attitude and voice, which is generally of good volume, rapid and strong. They have a zest for life and enjoy activities. They worked for most of their lives, with some only stopping at a very advanced age. They remain physically and intellectually active and take part in events such as reading and discussion groups, bingo, and exercise classes.

• Socialbility: These folks take pleasure in interaction and easily establish a rapport with others. They enjoy the company of family, friends and caregivers and are usually great conversationalists. They’ve had friends and enjoyed social relationships throughout their life. They feel support and love through their families and/caregivers. They are happy to help others without being asked and without asking anything in return.

• Commitment: They demonstrate high performance, care, attention, honesty, and a sense of duty in all they do. They were often highly valued in their working lives and given positions of responsibility. They persevere and are determined in their efforts to achieve a task.

• Control: They firmly believe they can influence events. In their lives they followed their own judgment, made their own decisions, and took control of situations. They’ve known how to organize, understood where opportunities lie and went after them. They also show practicality; adapting to the reality of situations as needed.

• Intellectually motivated: They take pleasure in having an active mind whether for reading, solving puzzles or playing cards. They have a great love of learning, often have learned their trades on their own without anyone teaching them. Many remain voracious readers with sizable collections of books. They have a zeal for understanding and keeping up to date with current affairs.

• Positivity: While they are not necessarily optimistic or joyful, they have a gratitude for the good things that happen, and know how to enjoy life despite difficulties.

• Resilience: They’re able to overcome adversity and even be strengthened by it. Despite extremely difficult episodes in their lives, they remained strong and never gave up. We previously discussed this important trait in our article on the longer life expectancy of holocaust survivors.

• Intelligence: They are academically and professionally successful, self-taught problem-solvers, who take on challenges, love learning, and are curious. Conversation is fast and agile, and they display good memories, and direct their lives towards paths they find satisfying. “For all these reasons,” the researchers wrote, “we would like to add that centenarians are intelligent people. Not for nothing, intelligence is one of the best predictors of longevity.”

After reading this list you may see yourself in many of these traits. Or, you may feel frustrated that more of these characteristics don’t come easily to you. Either way, here’s some good news. These traits can be cultivated and what’s more, it’s never too late to experience growth in your personality.

You can build positive personality traits at any age

Lola Merino, who led the research, said that if any of these traits are lacking in your life, they can be cultivated. “You can practice gratitude by becoming aware of all the good things in your life, and in the case of control you can establish order and habits so everyday demands do not overwhelm you.”

The same is true for most other traits that may be lacking, the researchers note. For instance, intelligence can be improved by challenging the mind perhaps by solving puzzles that become progressively more demanding. You can increase your social nature by joining groups, volunteering, and being willing to connect with and help others. As for vitality, you can choose to stay active.

The effort is worth it. The Spanish researchers are convinced these traits “could help in achieving a healthy old age.”

Summary

Although genetics play a small role in lifespan, a new study reveals that eight key personality traits—like vitality, resilience, and sociability—are common among centenarians. The good news? These traits can be developed at any age, offering a promising path to healthy aging.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do genes influence how long we live?

Only about 17% of longevity is linked to genetics; the rest depends on lifestyle and personality.

What are the top personality traits shared by centenarians?

Vitality, sociability, commitment, control, intellectual curiosity, positivity, resilience, and intelligence.

Can these personality traits be learned or improved?

Yes! Researchers believe these traits can be cultivated through habits, mindset shifts, and life choices.

How did researchers study centenarians for this data?

They interviewed 19 centenarians (ages 100–107) who were cognitively and physically healthy.

What can I do now to improve my chances of healthy aging?

Start cultivating positive personality traits, engage socially, stay mentally active, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.