You duck into your local coffee shop from the pouring rain, slosh your way through the line and order your usual drink. When you pull out your wallet, you realize with a sinking feeling that you’ve left all your money at home. The guy in line behind you overhears your conversation with the cashier and offers to pay for your order. Do you take him up on it? Or do you think he’s offering this kindness only because there’s something in it for him? If your default setting is to be skeptical of other people’s motives, or cynical in general. You could be hurting your brain health, according to a recent 10-year Finnish study published in the journal Neurology.
Researchers had 1,449 participants answer an eight-question quiz that was derived from the Cook-Medley Scale of Hostility, to measure their level of cynicism. After assessing the results, they found a link between the belief that others are mainly motivated by selfish concerns. And how prone you are to dementia. They discovered that those with the highest level of cynical distrust were also at the highest risk for developing dementia. (The average age of the participants was 71.)
But Can Your Personality Really Affect Brain Health?
According to researchers, personality may cause physical changes in the brain. People with different personality traits may be more or less likely to engage in social activities. They are beneficial for mental health. If you’re someone who’s naturally more wary of others, you may tend to socialize less. This could increase your dementia risk. Since this is the first study to show a potential link, some doctors aren’t convinced of the correlation.
The only thing we know for sure that’s linked to dementia is an increase in amyloid plaque in the brain, says New Jersey-based internist Dr. Nancy Simpkins . “Everyone has amyloid in their bodies, but what causes the increased amyloid deposits in the brain? Is it genetic, physical, physiological? Does negative emotion play into forming more amyloid plaque—or could being happy and feeling good about others have the ability to block the formation of that plaque?”
Can You Control Your Health Through Your Mood?
Dr. Simpkins says that even though the study doesn’t prove a direct connection between cynicism and dementia, it does open the door to thinking about what factors are at play. Could your state of mind and sense of contentment be part of it? In other words, while we can’t improve our health with things we can’t control—such as our genetics—does this study say that we can control our health through our mood?
When you’re happier, more trusting and less cynical, you have increased levels of dopamine and serotonin circulating around your brain, says Dr. Simpkins. “Could that protect against amyloid deposits? Maybe,”she postulates. “Research has shown that a positive attitude can’t hurt. Add to that a healthy diet, exercise and a healthy vascular system, and you’re setting yourself up for a healthier life overall.”
“People are so terrified of dementia that we’re willing to do anything to help ward it off,” says Dr. Simpkins. “We think: Maybe if I raise my serotonin levels and become a happier person, I can ward off any genetic predisposition.” The researches stresses that the study merely finds an association between dementia and cynicism, not necessarily a cause-and-effect link, and that more research needs to be done.
How Cynical Are You? Take This Quiz!
How would you rate your own levels of cynicism? Study participants were given the following quiz. Respond to these statements using this point system: “completely agree” (3 points), “somewhat agree” (2 points), “somewhat disagree” (1 point), and “completely disagree” (0 points).
- I think most people would lie to get ahead.
- Most people are honest chiefly through fear of being caught.
- Most people will use somewhat unfair reasons to gain profit or an advantage rather than lose it.
- I commonly wonder what hidden reasons another person may have for doing something nice to me.
- No one cares much what happens to you.
- It is safer to trust nobody.
- Most people make friends because friends are likely to be useful to them.
- Most people inwardly dislike putting themselves out to help other people.
Your total number of points indicates your level of cynicism: 0-9 is low; 10-14 is moderate; 15-24 is high.
Want to keep your numbers down? “We don’t have any guaranteed ways to thwart the disease,” offers Dr. Simpkins, “but if you eat well, exercise, don’t sweat the small stuff, and treat everyone with kindness it really goes a long way toward overall health.”
