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Why Good Relationships Are the Key to Living a Long and Happy Life with Robert Waldinger

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Sep 19, 2025
Robert Waldinger, Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, digs into the transformative power of relationships for health and happiness. He reveals that deep connections are better predictors of well-being than wealth or status. Listeners learn about the dangers of loneliness, comparable to smoking, and practical ways to cultivate social fitness. Waldinger also discusses the influence of mindfulness and Zen practices on improving relationships, urging us all to see connection as a vital part of a fulfilled life.
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INSIGHT

Relationships Predict Longevity

  • Warm, satisfying relationships predict longer, healthier lives more than blood pressure or cholesterol.
  • Social connection is a stronger predictor of well-being across many studies.
INSIGHT

Relationships Regulate Stress

  • Relationships act as stress regulators that lower heart rate and inflammation when supportive.
  • Chronic stress from bad relationships or isolation raises cortisol and damages multiple body systems.
INSIGHT

Isolation Is Biologically Stressful

  • Humans evolved as social animals so isolation is perceived by the brain as a stressor.
  • Sleep and safety improve when we feel socially connected rather than isolated.
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