Aug 10, 2011-- They say that the key to a long life is eating well, exercising regularly and reducing stress. Now an eight-decade study indicates that this is only part of the equation. The Longevity Project tracked the lives of 1,500 boys and girls to explain how factors such as social connections, personality and marriage affect long-term health. The results flipped traditional logic on it's head. "Take disposition, for example. Cheerful and optimistic children are actually less likely to live long lives, they found." According to this NPR article, the findings clearly revealed that the best childhood personality predictor of longevity was conscientiousness. (17004 reads)