Marc Schulz

The Good Life

1. IDEA 1

   Relationships shape a good life

   Waldinger and Schulz, who direct the Harvard Study of Adult Development, report on one of the longest studies of human lives, following hundreds of people for over eighty years. Its clearest finding, they say, is that warm relationships matter most for health and happiness.

2. IDEA 2

   The study followed lives for decades

   The authors describe how the study began in 1938 with Harvard students and young men from poor Boston neighbourhoods. Later, their wives and children joined. This long record let researchers watch how lives actually unfolded over many years.

3. IDEA 3

   Connection protects health

   The authors report that people with strong relationships tended to live longer and stay healthier. In their findings, relationships mattered more than wealth or fame. Their long records suggest that connection is closely tied to later health.

All 8 ideas from The Good Life →