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People who feel really connected, like there's somebody in the world who's got my back, that those people stay healthier, longer, and they live longer. If you are securely attached to at least one other person in the world from the time of early childhood all the way through the end of life, you are better off, both physically and emotionally. So try to put yourself in a place where you're going to rub elbows with people with whom you might make connections.

Listening to your favorite song, going on vacation, chocolate… What makes YOU happy? Today’s guest, psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger, is the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, an 83-year-old project--one of the longest-running studies of adult life ever--that tracks how life experience across decades affects health and wellbeing in middle age and beyond. Robert shares the surprising things he’s learned about what makes a meaningful life and what to do--or avoid--in order to have a long, fulfilling existence. Robert is the author of numerous scientific papers as well as two books, and he teaches medical students and psychiatry residents at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He is a Senior Dharma Teacher in Boundless Way Zen. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman