I once talked briefly with a man who introduced himself as someone who had “successfully completed” four marriages. I was in the throes of a divorce myself and feeling just short of a Total Failure As a Human Being, so hearing him suggest that there may be a salutary way to break the holy bonds of matrimony, as the clerics say, was a much-appreciated epiphany itself.
Though nonetheless not so easy to actually do. Divorce, that is. Unlike, as it turns out, successful aging, which sort of has the same vaguely oxymoronic feel as successfully completing marriages. In the former case, however, we can keep it simple, thanks to George E. Vailliant, M. D. In his groundbreaking Harvard University study, he was able to reduce successful aging to the following six recommendations:
1. Don’t smoke.
2. Drink in moderation.
3. Maintain healthy weight with some exercise.
4. Create loving relationships.
5. Keep learning.
6. Have a good attitude.
You notice how there’s no mention of good (not to mention tight-fitting) genes as a factor? Amazingly enough research shows genetics are less an influential factor than the above considerations. Maybe I don’t need that DNA analysis after all.