Latins know how to

Published in El Pais, February 4th 2018

Everything is about social contacts nowadays. In the old days you just needed to be sure you came at the right place in your city to know the right people who could help you get the job, get the papers or anything else. Nowadays this has become more complicated or easier, it’s just the way you look at it. But did you know that having strong social relationships can really extend the life expectancy?

A research done in 2010 by Holt-Lundstad, Smith and Layton and it was surprising to me that a person without strong social relationships reduces his life span more than a person who drinks excessively (more than 6 drinks per day). Even smoking seems to less dangerous than isolating yourself from other people. Actually, I always thought that a hermit living in the mountains does not have to deal with anybody lives longer. It seems that my romantic view was wrong.

But Latins know how to this!

A thing that highlights between Latins is that many families make time to have lunch together. When possible offices, shops and factories close, and people go home for lunch. Quite different from the 40-minute break that I had for lunch when I worked in the Netherlands. And only Latin women and men, are masters in scaling up a 4-person lunch into 10-person lunch if unexpected guests arrive. There is absolutely no problem at all to invite and share, whereas in The Netherlands, you are probably being placed in the living room meantime the family finishes lunch.

Also are the “Tienes que” or “Deberias que” (Have To’s). Latins are masters in giving you unwanted advice in the shape of orders and although for a foreigner this might often seem annoying that everybody tells you what you must do but after a while you find out that it is because everybody really is interested in your wellbeing.

I hope that Latins never lose this and do not get absorbed by those fake social systems like Facebook and WhatsApp or bad habits of foreigners. And keep converting normal lunches into parties, interrogating you about your life when you stand-by in line, talking for an hour at the door when you are about to leave the place.

According to the research it will extend the life span of a person. But even if it is not for that, social integration makes life much more fun and worthwhile!