Coming from Italy, where we have many examples of local centenarians living active, simple lives, I can confirm much of what you describe.
I’ve also tested many habits from Outlive — focusing on VO2 max, strength, and overall resilience — but lifestyle, community ties, and natural diet matter just as much, if not more.
Sounds a lot like what happened to blacks with the advent of LBJ's Great Society, designed to destroy the black family and make them dependent on government. A mission that succeeded in spectacular fashion...
I can see the argument that the Great Society didn't help blacks in the long run, but I've never heard the claim that LBJ was trying to destroy black families. Is there any evidence of that?
Without getting into the accuracy of that quote, the article doesn't mention the Great Society being intentionally designed to hurt black families.
I highly recommend Robert Caro's classic (and still unfinished) LBJ biography. It might be the best nonfiction I've ever read, and it shows what made the guy tick.
Given what we know of LBJ's attitude toward blacks, you think it was actually designed to help? C'mon, Ted.
Just look at the results. The status of the black family before programs were put into place enticing them to become dependent on the government - their new plantation owners - and after.
"Welfare May Have Played a Role
It is important to realize that things weren’t always so. The black American family provides a stark example. From 1890 to 1950, black women had a higher marriage rate than white women. And in 1950, just 9% of black children lived without their father. By 1960, the black marriage rate had declined but remained close to the white marriage rate. In other words, despite open racism and widespread poverty, strong black families used to be the norm.
But by the mid-1980s, black fatherlessness skyrocketed. Today, only 44% of black children have a father in the home. In unison, the rate of black out-of-wedlock births went from 24.5% in 1964 to 70.7% by 1994, roughly where it stands today."
very interesting
Really interesting read.
Coming from Italy, where we have many examples of local centenarians living active, simple lives, I can confirm much of what you describe.
I’ve also tested many habits from Outlive — focusing on VO2 max, strength, and overall resilience — but lifestyle, community ties, and natural diet matter just as much, if not more.
I shared my reflections, mixing personal experiments and observations from Italian longevity hotspots, here: https://occhipervedere.com/2025/04/28/peter-attia-outlive/.
Might add a different angle to this discussion.
Sounds a lot like what happened to blacks with the advent of LBJ's Great Society, designed to destroy the black family and make them dependent on government. A mission that succeeded in spectacular fashion...
I can see the argument that the Great Society didn't help blacks in the long run, but I've never heard the claim that LBJ was trying to destroy black families. Is there any evidence of that?
While that infamous Snopes far left "Fact Checking" source tries to whitewash it, this is a good review of what LBJ thought. https://intellectualtakeout.org/2016/10/did-lbj-say-ill-have-those-nggers-voting-democratic-for-200-years/
In addition, just look at the results.
Without getting into the accuracy of that quote, the article doesn't mention the Great Society being intentionally designed to hurt black families.
I highly recommend Robert Caro's classic (and still unfinished) LBJ biography. It might be the best nonfiction I've ever read, and it shows what made the guy tick.
Given what we know of LBJ's attitude toward blacks, you think it was actually designed to help? C'mon, Ted.
Just look at the results. The status of the black family before programs were put into place enticing them to become dependent on the government - their new plantation owners - and after.
"Welfare May Have Played a Role
It is important to realize that things weren’t always so. The black American family provides a stark example. From 1890 to 1950, black women had a higher marriage rate than white women. And in 1950, just 9% of black children lived without their father. By 1960, the black marriage rate had declined but remained close to the white marriage rate. In other words, despite open racism and widespread poverty, strong black families used to be the norm.
But by the mid-1980s, black fatherlessness skyrocketed. Today, only 44% of black children have a father in the home. In unison, the rate of black out-of-wedlock births went from 24.5% in 1964 to 70.7% by 1994, roughly where it stands today."
https://ifstudies.org/blog/family-breakdown-and-americas-welfare-system
Diet
Home life
Experience
Came from poor run country
American values
See Little Havana Miami FL area