1: “If you’ve ever seen a picture of your mother or father as a young adult, you know how startling it can be,” Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz write in The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.
“They seem like people we might have met along the road rather than the parents who created us,” the authors observe. “They often appear less burdened, more … continue reading
1: Marc Schulz has been a professor at a prestigious women’s college for over twenty-five years.
He also serves as Associate Director of The Harvard Study of Adult Development, the world’s longest scientific study of happiness.
Every year, “a new cohort of bright, excited students ask to participate in his research on well-being and how people’s lives evolve across time,” Marc and Robert Waldinger write in their book The … continue reading
1: “When Alan Silva was 14 years old he was in love with the movies,” Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz write in The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.
Alan was one of 456 inner-city Boston boys selected to participate in what became known as the Harvard Study of Adult Development.
“They were children who grew up in some of Boston’s most troubled … continue reading
1: Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz get asked many questions.
Bob and Marc are the Director and Associate Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the world’s longest scientific study of happiness.
People often approach them with worried looks and ask: “If I’m shy and have trouble making friends, is the good life out of reach?”
Or, “If I had a bad childhood, am I just totally screwed?”… continue reading
1: The big thinkers say no.
“Money has never made man happy, nor will it,” Ben Franklin once said.
Centuries before, Aristotle wrote: “The life of money-making is one undertaken under compulsion, and wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking; for it is merely useful and for the sake of something else.”
More recently, Maya Angelou observed: “Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love … continue reading
Harvard Study of Human Development, 2003 Questionnaire
Q: “What is the secret to aging well?”
A: “Happiness, caring. Watch what you’re eating. Try to get out and do a little walking or exercise. Have friends. It’s so good to have friends.” —Harriet Vaughn, Study participant, age 80
1: What does it feel like when we love someone? Or when we know someone loves us?
“Think about how you experience … continue reading
1: The year was 1946.
John Marsden and Leo DeMarco were both at major crossroads in their lives,” Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz write in their book The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.
Both men had volunteered to serve in the military during World War II. John served stateside, while the Navy assigned Leo to duty in the South Pacific.
Both John and … continue reading
1: “People are terrible at knowing what is good for them,” Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz write in The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.
There are several reasons for this reality.
First is our belief that happiness is something we achieve. “As if it were an award you could frame and hang on the wall,” Bob and Marc write.
“Or as if it … continue reading
