“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.”
– George Sand
There has been an amazing study done at Harvard that has lasted over 75 years. Robert Waldinger describes this study in a new TED talk, and the findings are hopeful.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development may be the longest study of adult life that’s ever been done. For 75 years, we’ve tracked the lives of 724 men, year after year, asking about their work, their home lives, their health, and of course asking all along the way without knowing how their life stories were going to turn out.
It’s not more money, it’s not longer hours at work, it’s not fame and fortune . . . (*but we knew that didn’t we?)
What they learned is this:
The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this:
Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.
Three big lessons were learned about relationships.
The first is that social connections are really good for us, and that loneliness kills. It turns out that people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are happier, they’re physically healthier, and they live longer than people who are less well connected. And the experience of loneliness turns out to be toxic.
The second big lesson that we learned is that it’s not just the number of friends you have, and it’s not whether or not you’re in a committed relationship, but it’s the quality of your close relationships that matters. It turns out that living in the midst of conflict is really bad for our health. High-conflict marriages, for example, without much affection, turn out to be very bad for our health, perhaps worse than getting divorced. And living in the midst of good, warm relationships is protective.
And the third big lesson that we learned about relationships and our health is that good relationships don’t just protect our bodies, they protect our brains. It turns out that being in a securely attached relationship to another person in your 80s is protective, that the people who are in relationships where they really feel they can count on the other person in times of need, those people’s memories stay sharper longer.
So in a nutshell, the study tells us that the good life is built with good relationships. And we can all work on that.
I’d like to close as Dr. Waldinger closed, with a quote from Mark Twain:
“There isn’t time, so brief is life, for bickerings, apologies, heartburnings, callings to account. There is only time for loving, and but an instant, so to speak, for that.”
I’d love to hear about how you nurture your relationships. And as always, thanks for taking the time to visit, I appreciate it.
Loved reading your post today! Thank you!!
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Thank you Lotta! It’s a great talk – such a good reminder to all of us!
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Thanks Patti for the great post. I think that building a good relationship is very much like the creative process. Both require curiosity, consistency, commitment and play!
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Touché! Well said.
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Great Post! If you are interested in my thoughts:
https://isoldawriting.wordpress.com/2015/08/06/happiness/
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Thank you!
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Hi Patty! Great topic although kind of scary for me. I nurture my relationships the same way I nurture my life- by putting my best foot forward and leading with my heart. Whether it was alcoholism, diabetes or divorce, I looked at them as an open door, a new beginning if you will. Fortunately my nature is thus that I can’t stay in the negative long so I’m quick to lose the people that do. The ones that I truly love I would give my last breath for and they know it. Both my daughters left for college this weekend leaving me in an “empty nest” so there will probably be some twangs of loneliness in my future but this too is another open door. Your blogs always bring a smile to my heart and cause to reflect as well as enjoy the moment! Love and Thanx, Doug
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Thank you for the comment Doug. Ah yes – this post would be a painful one to read as the nest empties. I was reflecting back on 2015 with my sister last night and said that the lowest point of the year was absolutely that day in February when I dropped both boys off at college, and then flying home to my empty nest. I grieved for weeks. It’s a painful transition, but as you said – new doors open.
Thanks again for taking the time to comment. Sending lots of love to you for the new year my friend.
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I wonder how much the relationship with self impacts this too. Great post!
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Absolutely! Great insight.
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Huh. This is probably a big reason why things haven’t been so hot for the last few years. Insightful post.
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Thanks for taking the time to comment. Hope your 2016 is ‘hotter’ than the last few years!
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Patti, great post. As the eminent positive psychologist, Chris Petersen, summarized so succinctly, “Other people matter.” So true.
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Truer words rarely spoken. They matter a lot, for everyone’s well being! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
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I so agree with this. Part of my 2015 lesson was that I did not spend enough time cultivating my relationships. I have since shifted my priorities and become much happier.
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Yay! We gotta always be checking back on our priorities!
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Wow, this is really interesting – thank you! I love this quote at the top: “There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” – George Sand
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Me too – I love that quote. Thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it.
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Thank you for sharing.
This study does seem to show what I have found to be true in my life. People think my husband and I were crazy because we had seven kids. Our kids are all grown into healthy adults now and bring so much joy into our lives, especially seeing how important they are to each other, how much fun they have together.
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Absolutely! Thanks for commenting.
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