Lessons from the world’s longest happiness study

What does it take to live a happy, fulfilling life? Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz share findings from their happiness study and discuss their book, "The Good Life."

Listen 50:00
(Robert Waldinger, top, photo credit Katherine Taylor; Marc Schulz)

(Robert Waldinger, top, photo credit Katherine Taylor; Marc Schulz)

What makes a happy and healthy life? That’s the question at the heart of the longest study on happiness, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which began in 1938. Researchers have been following participants for 85 years, trying to untangle what it takes to thrive in this world. And the answer they found? Fulfilling relationships.

In our debut episode of The Connection, we’ll talk with the study’s researchers about their findings and why positive relationships are the essential ingredient to happy lives. They are the co-authors of  the new book, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.

Our guests

ROBERT WALDINGER, professor of psychiatry at Harvard University and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development.

MARC SCHULZ, professor of psychology at Bryn Mawr College and associate director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development.

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal