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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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Neurotic People Die Earlier

Increased likelihood of smoking increases mortality risk of nervous nellies

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(Newser) – Neurotics are more likely to die prematurely than their mellower peers, LiveScience reports. A new study that followed nearly 1,800 men for 30 years found that those who fit self-descriptive criteria for neuroticism—constantly worried or anxious—were more likely to die early, in large part because they were more likely to smoke in order to quell their nervousness.

"It may be the case that smoking and other bad health behaviors help alleviate those feelings of being stressed out, those feelings of worry," said a researcher. "It may ease those feelings of worry and anxiety, but it may kill you in the end." Subjects completed surveys on their mental state that were quantified into a 10-point scale ranking their nervousness. Every point on the scale corresponded to a 5% increase in the risk of a person’s premature death.

Neurotic people are more likely to die prematurely?in large part because they are more likely to smoke, a new study found.
Neurotic people are more likely to die prematurely?in large part because they are more likely to smoke, a new study found.   (Shutterstock)
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It may be the case that smoking and other bad health behaviors help alleviate those feelings of being stressed out, those feelings of worry. It may ease those feelings of worry and anxiety, but it may kill you.
- Daniel Mroczek, Purdue University

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16 comments
VIEWING:
 
Jojo
Aug 19, 09 6:12 PM CDT
Lol that headline will thin the herd even more. Reply
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+10
IN RESPONSE:
No118
Aug 19, 09 6:24 PM CDT
lol
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+1
IN RESPONSE:
Deebles
Aug 20, 09 1:53 AM CDT
Don't want to thin that herd too much jojo. Intelligence and neurotic are the flip side of a coin. Think what you would have today without all the anxious driven people who thought it up. Name me one thing that a normal person ever invented, conceived, drew, painted, wrote or made music about. If this were a negative trait it would have withered off the genome eons ago. That it is the driving force of creativity keeps it here. That nine people think that the mundane herd is better off without electricity, art, and science is why all those neurotic geniuses give up. No one with an IQ below 130 has much of a problem with day-to-day life. And that is generous considering that 100 is average. That the herd sucks off the bright is the very definition of neurotic.
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JackShephard
Aug 20, 09 3:40 AM CDT
I won't say that "neuroses" (despite being an outdated clinical term) is a negative character trait. And I'll even agree that something like depression can heighten creativity. But seriously, what an absurd thing to say, Neeley. Nothing -- no music, art, or even a single invention -- has ever been conceived by, as you eloquently put it, "a normal person"? No one with an IQ below 130 has any problem with day-to-day life? Tell that to the adults with developmental disabilities that I work with every day. Their lives are a walk in the park. And all those neurotic geniuses gave up, did they? I guess that's why we have no inventions, art, music, entertainment. We live in a barren wasteland devoid of all man-made material because your neurotic geniuses all gave up. Your mostly incoherent, completely uneducated, pseudo-psychobabble bullshit is not only ignorant, but is actually infuriating. Not to mention the fact that that last sentence of yours is actually borderline gibberish. Fortunately for you, judging by the way you write, it's completely clear that your IQ is well below 130, so your life is just swell. (And if I wanted to take a page out of the anti-health-care-reform crowd [which I would never do without tongue planted firmly in cheek]: You know who was really neurotic? Hitler.)
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+1
cognitivefilter
Aug 19, 09 6:33 PM CDT
ahmmmm, sounds like smoking is the real killer, not so much neurosis Reply
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+3

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