Photographed by Ashley Batz.If you often envy all your typical type A friends who manage to impress the boss, host brunches with their girls, and run marathons without batting an eye, we’re here to tell you type B may just stand for "better off." While the polar personality profiles may seem like cultural archetypes — film and television often leans on depictions of either total overachievers or total slackers — the root of the two identifiers actually has a medical background.
Turns out, type A was a diagnosis that translated to being more likely to undergo a heart attack. That’s certainly news to get the heart racing! Its counterpart, type B, simply means your ticker isn’t as vulnerable to complications, according to the team of cardiologists that created the detection system during the '50s. But, though the origins of the type A/type B dichotomy are tied up with cardiac health, they're most often associated with lifestyle. Type A-ers are stressed, while their type B counterparts have a more relaxed approach to living.
Despite the revelation that your chilled-out lifestyle is good for your ticker, if you’re a B-ster who still feels pressure to keep up with your go-getter counterparts, note The Huffington Post has rounded up 10 reasons why having a more laid-back approach is the real key to happiness. For instance, you're more likely to get your creative juices flowing and colleagues get excited to work with you. Take that teachers' pets! Read them all, and keep ’em in your back pocket the next time that superwoman tries to outdo you at the office. (The Huffington Post)