The Key to Living a happy and good life

written by Matthew Rensberry on 2025-02-27

Harvard’s Grant and Glueck study

For over 75 years, Harvard’s Grant and Glueck study has tracked the physical and emotional well-being of two populations:

456 poor men growing up in Boston from 1939 to 2014 (the Grant Study)
268 male graduates from Harvard’s classes of 1939-1944 (the Glueck study)

“The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”

Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development

Keys to Life Satisfaction

The world's longest running and most comprehensive psychological review of adult well-being, the Harvard Grant Study, found that the 5 most effective traits associated with higher life satisfaction were:

Altruism (focus on others)
Humor
Sublimation (finding gratifying alternatives to frustration and anger)
Anticipation (being realistic about future challenges)
Suppression (keeping a stiff upper lip in the face of unpleasant thoughts and events)

Every one of the five involves taking your own feelings less seriously.

"The secret to life is good and enduring intimate relationships and friendships,"

Psychiatry Professor Charles Barber reviewing the study

Reference:

Harvard Second Generation Grant and Glueck Study