Long Live and Staying Young by Socializing

Photo by Jofel Tobias

A poet has ever said in his poetry that he wanted to live for another 1000 years. I also wanted to achieve that if I could. I believe you want it too. Unfortunately, our age are limited by specific measurement. It is not how long we live, but it is the quality of our life that is important. Some people often say that. However, for me, the quantity and quality of life are both important. Of course you don’t want to live happily in just a year. If you can get 50 years, why not?

Even Shi Huang Ti (259-210 BC), an emperor from China had to send 3000 soldiers to across the ocean for getting a long life potion.

At this moment, there is an easy way that can make you have a long life and staying young. Dr. Lisa Berkman from Harvard School of Health Sciences in 1973 did a research to 7000 people from 35 to 65 years old that spent 9 years. She found that people, who socialized less and had less community bound, had the probability of death three times bigger because of medical illness. This probability was not related to smoke, alcohol, obesity, etc.

It means that if you involve actively in certain social environment, it can increase your life expectancy. So, why are you not involved in activities at your neighborhood, your religious institution or social activities? Don’t you agree that our closest relative is our neighbor? Why do you not socialize from your next door neighbor? Because that is the easiest and cheapest way for a long life.

“At 70 years old, do something big in your home, and at 75 years old, attend a lecture you have never learned or study a foreign language.
Continue your activities as if it never ends, and if the time has come, you almost don’t realize it.”
- Harry Golden -