Decoding Bill Gates' lifestyle reveals that discovering a purpose in life is a key factor in keeping the brain fit into old age.
Last October, Bill Gates, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, turned 70. For most people, this age marks retirement, rest, and letting go. But for Bill Gates, he continues working hard through his foundation, tackling global warming, trying to eradicate polio, and promoting new nuclear energy.
Of course, part of this is due to the privilege of wealth allowing him access to the world's best medical care, but Gates insists that this is not the whole answer to aging well.
In his latest annual book recommendations, Gates revealed a novel that reinforces one of the most important scientific truths about longevity: humans age best when they know they still have value and are needed.
The book is called Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, which tells the story of Tova, a 70-year-old widow who lost both her husband and son. She chooses to work the night shift cleaning an aquarium just to pass the time until she befriends Marcellus, a wise giant octopus.
Gates points out that the interesting part is not the octopus's intelligence but Tova's transformation—from a lonely, purposeless elderly woman to someone who regains vitality by caring for and communicating with Marcellus.
What Bill Gates discovered from Remarkably Bright Creatures aligns directly with longevity research. A 15-year study of retirees found that those with a clear life purpose had a 28% lower risk of developing dementia.
Psychologically, seniors who have succeeded in their careers or retired CEOs often experience emptiness. Despite abundant wealth, they feel worthless due to lack of social roles, unlike seniors who maintain community roles or small responsibilities.
A classic study showed that simply assigning nursing home residents the task of watering a single plant significantly improved their mental and physical health—not because the plant purified air, but because they felt their lives still had responsibilities.
Source:Inc.