The Seven Deadly Sins Aren’t As Deadly As You Think

For centuries, people  believed that the infamous "seven deadly sins" aren't just bad for your soul. It's also been said they are bad for your health. But science says otherwise...

Mental Floss has compiled some recent health science studies that disprove the deadliness of each of the deadly sins, both physically and spiritually.For instance, the sin of sloth may not be a person's fault. A kinesiology study from Texas A&M University found that laziness is largely genetic.

Lust, when practiced safely, can actually prolong a person's life, especially in women. Duke University's study found that women who enjoyed sex had an average life expectancy that was seven to eight years longer than those who didn't.

Gordon Gekko may have been right after all about greed. An experiment by Swiss economists "designed a computer model to test the effects of greed on social cohesion." The model found that societies with high greed left the "low greed society" with lower levels of contentment, whose citizens were less likely to help improve things. Moderately greedy groups showed more cooperation.

Gluttony has long been thought of as being detrimental to a person's health and those beliefs are well founded. However, it could help you find that ideal mate. A study at New York University found that men with less money thought a woman's ideal weight was slightly higher because of their caveman ancestors' need for women to stave off hunger during long hunting trips.

Wrath, also known as anger, may not do much good for your heart or stress levels, but it can help you win an argument. A study at UC Santa Barbara found that those who were more irate had sharper analytical skills and were better able to focus on relevant details.

Pride or vanity is often seen as the deadliest of the sins. However, having more pride in oneself can also help to stave off clinical depression, according to a study by Northeastern University. So, here's to a little moderate sinning --  not so deadly after all, and certainly more attainable than classical virtue.