Surveys reveal that among today’s young people the belief has spread that getting money and / or fame is the key that opens the doors to happiness. However, a Harvard University study that has been underway since 1938, the Study of Adult Development , denies that the basis of a full life lies in wealth and fame or that it is linked to working hard: what makes us age healthy and happy are good personal relationships.
Robert Waldinger, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is the fourth director of this study, one of the longest running. In fact, approximately 60 of the 724 men with whom the investigation began 75 years ago are still alive and continue to participate in it; many are in their early thirties. “And now we have begun to study the more than 2,000 children of these men, ” explained Waldinger at a TED conference.
The people under study not only receive questionnaires with a series of questions about how their lives are, but also personal interviews are carried out, medical history is requested, blood tests are carried out and, in recent years Other medical tests, such as brain scans, have even been added.
According to Waldinger, thanks to the conclusions drawn from this study, they have learned that social relationships are good for us, while loneliness or conflicts are detrimental to our health; Likewise, enjoying strong bonds protects us in old age against, for example, memory loss .
But let’s not panic: this study does not mean that our relationships have to be perfect. “Some of our octogenarian couples could fight day after day, but if they felt that they could count on each other when the going got tough , those discussions weren’t going to take their toll on their memories,” stressed the studio director.
When asked what we can do to achieve good relationships in our environment , Professor Waldinger explained that “the possibilities are endless.” “Something as simple as replacing part of the time we spend in front of the screens with time in the company of other people, or improving an old relationship by doing new things, long walks or meeting for a night out. And even approaching that family member whom we have not spoken to in years, since these family disputes have a very high cost on people who hold a grudge, “he concluded.
