Happiness - Robert Waldinger, MD - Relationships

What if we’re going about happiness and longevity all wrong?

In our latest episode, Dr. Greg Kelly is joined by Dr. Robert J. Waldinger, a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, Zen priest, and Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. Our conversation centers around one of the world’s longest studies of adult life, spanning over 80 years.

What Harvard’s 80-Year Happiness Study Says About a Good Life

Over the years, researchers studied the participants’ health trajectories and their broader lives, including their achievements and failures in careers and marriage, and the findings produced startling life lessons. Teaser: people’s level of satisfaction with their relationships at age 50 was a better predictor of physical health than their cholesterol levels were.

Scientific studies have told us again and again: human beings need nutrition, we need exercise, we need purpose, and we need each other. -Robert Waldinger, MD

“When we gathered together everything we knew about them at age 50, it wasn’t their middle-age cholesterol levels that predicted how they were going to grow old,” said Waldinger in a popular TED Talk. “It was how satisfied they were in their relationships. The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80.”

The message is clear: those who kept warm relationships got to live longer and happier and the loners often died earlier. “Loneliness kills,” says Waldinger. “It’s as powerful as smoking or alcoholism.”

Key Takeaways

• Relationships are Crucial: Strong social connections significantly contribute to happiness and physical health.

• Social Fitness is Vital: Actively maintaining and improving your social relationships can enhance life satisfaction.

• Generosity Fosters Fulfillment: Engaging in activities that benefit the world around us leads to personal happiness and a sense of purpose.

Tune in now to hear greater details and experiences from the study, and easy to implement tips and to enhance your social fitness at any age and to improve your interpersonal relationships and start building your own "good life."

Prefer to listen on YouTube? Bookmark Dr. Robert Waldinger: What Harvard’s 80-Year Happiness Study Says About a Good Life and listen later!
 

Connect With Dr. Robert Waldinger
Robert Waldinger Website
Robert Waldinger Instagram
Robert Waldinger YouTube
Robert Waldinger LinkedIn

Resources Mentioned
TEDTalk: What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness
Robert Waldinger Book: The Good Life
Harvard Study of Adult Development

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