Sahil Bloom is an inspirational writer and content creator, captivating millions of people every week through his social insights and bi-weekly newsletter, The Curiosity Chronicle.
Guest Author: Sahil Bloom
I spent an afternoon with the director of the longest study on happiness.
3 learnings (you need to hear):
Dr. Robert Waldinger is the fourth director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has studied the lives of its 700+ original participants and their 1,300+ direct descendants for over 85 years.
Started in 1938, it is considered the longest-running longitudinal study on adult life, health, and happiness.
Here are three powerful findings:
1. Relationship satisfaction impacts health.
The researchers looked back at the lives of the 80-year-old participants to determine what factors were predictive of healthy aging.
What did they find?
Relationship satisfaction at age 50 was predictive of health at age 80.
From Dr. Waldinger:
“It wasn’t their cholesterol levels that predicted how they were going to grow old. 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.”
2. Loneliness kills.
Humans are social creatures. We thrive through connection to those around us.
Study participants who felt isolated were observably less happy and experienced notably earlier declines in health than those who felt connected.
The study observed the negative impacts of alcohol and smoking on the long-term health of the participants, but found that loneliness was just as negatively impactful.
From Dr. Waldinger:
“Loneliness kills. It’s as powerful as smoking or alcoholism.”
3. Quality over quantity.
The researchers found that the quality of relationships was more impactful on health and happiness than the quantity of relationships.
A few deep bonds are worth far more than hundreds of weak or unhealthy ones.
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The study’s key scientific findings and stories are beautifully told in Dr. Waldinger’s recent NYT best-selling book, The Good Life: Lessons From the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.
Most importantly, Dr. Waldinger is a wonderful human—someone who truly lives by the findings of his work.
He is warm, genuine, and interested.
On a long walk, we spoke about our mutual desire to create a positive impact in the world—ripples that extend beyond ourselves.
I’m thrilled to call him a friend and help share his message with the world.
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