The recipe for happiness according to Harvard University
updated the 9 May 2016 à 11:17This is the longest study ever conducted on happiness. A Harvard University research team analyzed the lives of 764 men since 1938. Verdict? Neither the work nor fame nor money really make you happy …
Ted conferences are always filled with good surprises. Last November, the American psychiatrist, Robert Waldinger took to the stage to present a study on happiness. What’s so unique about it? It lasted 75 years! Harvard University researchers have studied and collected information about 724 American men in order to answer a question: What makes us happy throughout our lives? To achieve this, its instigator, George Vaillant, a psychiatrist and professor, has selected two classes of men, from opposite social classes. Every two years, information on their personal lives were then collected.
HAPPINESS IS Something else
So what is the recipe for happiness? It is neither money, nor work, nor fame. To be happy, it is better to avoid loneliness, considered harmful to health, and focus primarily on human relations. Concretely, it means being in good company (family, friends, etc.). But also ensuring lasting relationships and quality (get rid of toxic people!). Living perpetually in conflict would be as detrimental as feeling alone. In 2015, most of the candidates in the study had more than 90 years, and only 60 of the 724 men were still alive. The researchers are now looking to their children, both girls and boys. What if happiness was hereditary?
