Longest Study in History Reveals the True Secret to Happiness!

To uncover the true recipe for happiness, American researchers tracked over 2,000 individuals throughout their lifetimes. They have now revealed their astonishing findings.

Spanning 80 years and involving 724 individuals plus 1,300 of their descendants, the longest study ever conducted on this topic has just concluded. Directed by Dr. Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz from Harvard University, the study aimed to pinpoint the foundations of human happiness and well-being.

The researchers regularly interviewed the subjects about their jobs, families, and health. They conducted blood tests, brain scans, and even autopsied deceased participants. After 75 years of meticulous follow-up, the researchers definitively dismissed the notions that wealth or fame can create happiness.

According to them, the key to fulfillment lies in a less tangible aspect of our lives. It actually resides in the nature and strength of the connections we have with those around us. “Our study shows that people who are more connected to their family, friends, and community are happier and healthier physically than those who are less so,” the researchers explain in their book titled The Good Life. However, they stress that having relationships is not enough; these must be actively maintained through shared experiences or, at the very least, long-distance communication.

Conversely, more isolated individuals see their health deteriorate more quickly. “Lonely people also tend to live shorter lives,” they assert. But all is not lost! Even though surrounded by friends, young people are not always the happiest. Most study participants reported that their happiness increased over the years as their relationships with those around them strengthened.

Of the 724 men initially selected for the study, 456 were young men from disadvantaged neighborhoods in Boston. To compare life trajectories, Waldinger and Schulz also selected 268 Harvard students, among whom was none other than John F. Kennedy! Quickly becoming a public figure, Kennedy, however, did not remain long in the study, being set aside by the researchers before his death in 1963.