TV producer Norman Lear made it to 101. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was 100 when he died. Berkshire Hathaway’s No. 2, Charlie Munger, was just a month shy of 100. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter was 96. Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was 93.
When I was growing up, I rarely heard about anybody turning 90 years old, much less 100. Now, as the passing of these five luminaries in recent weeks shows, it’s no longer uncommon.
It’s a reflection of the fact that the number of so-called super seniors — Americans living well into their 80s and 90s or even making it into the triple-digit club — is exploding. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2020 there were 6.7 million Americans age 85 or older, amounting to about 2% of the total population.
From the archives: These ‘super seniors’ are living longer, healthier lives
In 1900, U.S. census data show, there were 122,362 people over age 85, or just 0.001% of the population. The total U.S. population has since increased 4.3 times, to about 332 million, while the 85-and-over group has increased nearly 55 times.
These numbers — in both absolute and relative terms — are expected to continue to grow in the coming years.
What do super seniors have in common? Lots of things. In the last few weeks, I’ve read numerous articles and remembrances about Carter, Lear, Kissinger, Munger and O’Connor, and in terms of their lifestyles, a few observations stick out. Perhaps they can offer lessons for the rest of us.
Maintain balance in your life
Sandra Day O’Connor set an amazing example. “She was obviously busy, but always found time for others, her family and herself,” one of her former clerks, Lisa Kern Griffin — now a professor at Duke University Law School — tells me. “She had a wide circle of friends and loved spending time with them at dinner parties and events.”
An Arizona native, O’Connor spent as much time as she could outdoors, doing activities such as golfing and hiking. She even found time to lead exercise classes on the Supreme Court’s basketball court, giving new meaning to the phrase “highest court in the land,” Griffin added.
Read: This is one of the best exercises you can do for your health if you’re over 50
Keep doing what you love
Rosalynn Carter, along with her husband, former President Jimmy Carter — who is now 99 — helped build houses for Habitat for Humanity after President Carter left office. She was also a fierce advocate for mental-health services.
Norman Lear, creator of some of the most iconic American TV shows ever — “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons” and “Good Times” among them — won Emmy Awards in 2019 and 2020 for his re-creation of episodes from those shows.
Munger, along with his lifelong pal Warren Buffett — who is himself 93 — held court for hours at Berkshire Hathaway’s
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annual meeting in May, tossing out his trademark bon mots on investing and life. One of my favorites: “Acknowledging what you don’t know is the dawning of wisdom.”
Read: At 65, I thought I could eat whatever I wanted — until I woke up in the ICU
Stay optimistic
Asked recently how it felt to be 101, Lear answered: “Terrific! But not as good as 102 will be!” Lear embodied the findings of a 2019 study by the National Academy of Sciences that having an optimistic attitude can help people live up to 15% longer — and give them a better chance of living to 85 or more.
Keep learning
One key to aging well and living longer, writes Sandip Ray, a medical doctor and psychologist who writes the Happiness Blog, is to “continuously seek opportunities for personal growth and development.”
Henry Kissinger traveled the world up to the very end of his life, turning up in Beijing this summer for discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Munger read not just voraciously but widely, saying his goal was to go to bed each night a little bit smarter than he had been in the morning. He often said he knew no wise people who weren’t big readers.
You don’t have to be a first lady, a TV legend or a Supreme Court justice to live long and well. But I think it helps to do as they did in certain ways. Lear’s cheerful optimism: We can do that. Giving back and advocating for others like Carter did: We can do that. O’Connor’s commitment to maintaining friendships and a robust social life: We can do that. Reading each day, exposing ourselves to fresh ideas like Munger did: We can do that.
Whatever floats your boat — volunteering, exercising, pursuing hobbies — fits the bill. I say do what you enjoy for as long as you can.
Doing these things won’t guarantee that you’ll live to be an active, engaged and productive super senior. But not doing them — well, decide for yourself whether that will help.
