Dr Robert Waldinger, a happiness researcher and speaker, joins Steven Bartlett on this episode to discuss the key factors for happiness and fulfillment. They explore topics such as the impact of genetics on happiness, the importance of progress and self-discipline, the meaning of sacrifice, and the different types of people. They also touch on introversion vs extroversion and the pursuit of happiness, and announce an exciting new product called Daily Greens.

In this new episode Steven sits down with the American psychiatrist and Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, Robert Waldinger.Dr Waldinger is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and the fourth director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This is the longest every study of the same group of people over time, following 724 men for nearly 80 years. The study explores the factors that lead to healthy and happy lives. Robert is also the Founding Director of the Lifespan Research Foundation, which aims to implement the lessons learned from the Harvard Study in peoples work and personal life. His TED talk, “What makes a good life?” has been viewed over 40 million times.In this conversation Robert and Steven discuss topics, such as: What are the factors that make for a good life The impacts that money and success have on a happy life Why relationships are the most important factor for long term health and wellbeing Why we should reexamine the value we place on relationships How modern society gets in the way of connection You can purchase Robert’s new book ‘The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Study on Happiness’, here: ****https://bit.ly/3BiYSPWFollow me:https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Waldinger, a Harvard professor and psychiatrist, directs an 86-year study on what truly makes people happy. He shares that lasting happiness isn’t tied to wealth or fame; it’s rooted in deep connections and community. The conversation covers how social ties impact health and longevity, the importance of pursuing passions without societal pressure, and the true value of time over money. Waldinger emphasizes that genuine attention towards others is essential for a fulfilling life in our distraction-prone world.

Started in 1938, the Harvard Study of Adult Development represents the longest study on happiness ever conducted. It set out to follow a group of men through every stage of their lives, from youth to old age, to discover what factors lead people to flourish.Here to share some of the insights that have been gleaned from the Harvard Study of Adult Development is Dr. Robert Waldinger, the current director of the project and the co-author of The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. Today on the show, Robert explains how the study has affirmed the absolute primacy of relationships in happiness and how to develop the “social fitness” to make and enrich those vital connections. We discuss what the happily married couples in the study did differently, and why happiness in marriage tends to follow a U-shaped curve which hits its low point in midlife. We talk about how the way you were raised helps set a trajectory for your life, but how it’s also possible to overcome a rough upbringing to become a transitional character in your family. We also discuss the role that friends and work played in the happiness of the men who participated in the study. We end our conversation with what folks in every stage of development — whether youth, midlife, or older age — should focus on to live a flourishing life.Resources Related to the EpisodeAoM Article: Love Is All You Need: Insights from the Longest Longitudinal Study on Men Ever ConductedAoM article and podcast on how and why to have weekly marriage meetingsAoM Podcast #795: The U-Shaped Curve of HappinessAoM Article: You Don’t Have to Be Your Dad — How to Become Your Family’s Transitional CharacterAoM Podcast #742: The Power of Talking to StrangersA Eulogy for My Grandfather, William D. HurstConnect With Robert WaldingerThe Good Life websiteHarvard Study of Adult Development

You can order my new book 8 RULES OF LOVE at 8rulesoflove.com or at a retail store near you. You can also get the chance to see me live on my first ever world tour. This is a 90 minute interactive show where I will take you on a journey of finding, keeping and even letting go of love. Head to jayshettytour.com and find out if I'll be in a city near you. Thank you so much for all your support - I hope to see you soon.Today, I am talking to Robert Waldinger, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and co-founder of the Lifespan Research Foundation. Dr. Waldinger received his AB from Harvard College and his MD from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Waldinger is a practicing psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, and he directs a psychotherapy teaching program for Harvard psychiatry residents. He's also a zen master and teaches meditation in New England and around the world. And he is the co-author of the book, The Good Life: Lessons From the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.Robert shares his expertise on adult happiness. We go back and forth with our thoughts on the effects of chronically stressful relationships on our physical body as well as our mental and emotional health, why we should stop minding what people think about us and instead start checking in with ourselves, and the pros and cons of engaging in personal development and being open to changes.     What We Discuss:00:00:00 Intro00:03:23 The pros and cons of remote conversations00:05:16 This 75-Year Harvard Study00:13:10 The three flavors of happiness00:17:45 Turn to activities that are enlivening00:20:18 We’re not trained to look inward00:26:23 Take note of the things that are evolving 00:35:32 When you’re living with people that causes you stress 00:40:14 Active re-imagining of life from a different time00:47:03 Chronically stressful relationships break down the body00:53:30 Looking at the long view when dealing with relationships01:01:00 Socio-emotional learning 01:02:57 How do we keep our relationships in shape?01:06:02 Security of attachment for introverts and extroverts Episode ResourcesRobert Waldinger | WebsiteRobert Waldinger | FacebookRobert Waldinger | TwitterRobert Waldinger | LinkedInWant to be a Jay Shetty Certified Life Coach? Get the Digital Guide and Workbook from Jay Shetty https://jayshettypurpose.com/fb-getting-started-as-a-life-coach-podcast/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert Waldinger is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, Zen priest and Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest-running study of adult life ever conducted.What makes for a good life? That was one of the main questions I asked myself when I began this podcast. A far easier solution would have been to speak to Dr Waldinger as his team has been researching thousands of the same individuals for 75 years to answer this question definitively.Expect to learn how you operate a longitudinal study that spans more time than any researcher's career, just how in depth this study went with brain scans and blood tests, what the most important factors which determined life happiness were, how many friends people should have, whether being married makes you live longer, what role achievement has on happiness and much more...Extra Stuff:Buy The Good Life - https://amzn.to/3QwWQ5D Check out Bob's website - http://www.robertwaldinger.com/ Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom-Get in touch.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillxTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillxYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcastEmail: https://chriswillx.com/contact/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is the man in charge of the world’s longest scientific study of happiness, a study that has been running since 1938. Dr. Robert Waldinger is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development at Massachusetts General Hospital, and co-founder of the Lifespan Research Foundation. He is also a Zen master and teaches meditation in New England and around the world. His TED Talk is one of the most viewed of all time, with over 43 million views. He’s the co-author, along with Dr. Marc Schulz, of The Good Life.In this episode we talk about: What the Harvard Study of Adult Development is and how it got startedHow much of our happiness is really under our controlWhy you can’t you be happy all the timeThe concept of “social fitness” Why you should “never worry alone” How having best friends at work can make you more productiveAnd why, in his words, it’s never too late to be happyFull Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/robert-waldinger-549See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We often follow a misguided formula for happiness—pushing us toward material wealth and other worldly successes. But when our expectations set us down the wrong path, it may be time to reorient ourselves around something new: universal happiness principles we can practice at any age. In our finale episode of this season, a conversation with psychiatrist Robert Waldinger provides a scientific insight into key elements for happy living, whatever your age. This episode was produced by Rebecca Rashid and is hosted by Arthur Brooks. Editing by A.C. Valdez and Claudine Ebeid. Fact-check by Ena Alvarado. Engineering by Matthew Simonson.Be part of How to Build a Happy Life. Write to us at howtopodcast@theatlantic.com.To support this podcast, and get unlimited access to all of The Atlantic’s journalism, become a subscriber. Music by the Fix (“Saturdays”), Mindme (“Anxiety”), and Gregory David (“Under the Tide”). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, shares fascinating insights on happiness and well-being. He emphasizes the profound impact of relationships on health, revealing that strong social bonds can enhance longevity. Waldinger discusses the importance of secure attachments in parenting, which shape adult relationships. He also highlights the need for balance between personal achievement and nurturing connections, advocating for self-reflection and fostering joy amid uncertainties in parenting.

By the end of today’s episode, I’m pretty sure you’ll feel inspired to reconnect with an old friend, phone that family member you don’t see enough, or make plans for a face-to-face get-together. You’ll feel happier, and even be healthier if you do, because the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.My guests, Professors Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz are co-authors of The Good Life: Lessons From The World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. They are the directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development which is an extraordinary research project that started back in 1938 and is now in its 85th year.Robert is Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.  He is also a Zen priest and meditation teacher. Marc is Professor of Psychology and Director of Data Science at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and is also a practicing therapist.They are both passionate about spreading the crucial message that high-quality relationships are one of the biggest predictors of happiness, health and longevity and, therefore, prioritising how and with whom you spend your time may just be one of the most important things you can do for your mental and physical health.We discuss why loneliness increases our risk of death in comparable ways to smoking or obesity and what this 85-year-old study can teach all of us about how to have a meaningful and satisfying life. The study followed the same participants and their families, taking biological measurements and asking detailed questions. Its goal has always been to understand contentment and what it really means to live a good life.We talk about different types of relationships and how toxic friendships and partnerships can be damaging. We also discuss why frequency and quality both matter when it comes to our relationships, the importance for all of us to have one or two ‘securely attached’ relationships and we discuss the fact that vibrant social lives and close relationships, don’t come easily to everyone.Robert and Marc share some fantastic insights on what people can do if they are struggling, the importance of listening and being ‘radically curious’ and how we can nurture better relationships with ourselves.This really was an uplifting and inspiring conversation with two wonderful human beings. I hope you enjoy listening.Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.Thanks to our sponsors:https://www.seed.com/livemorehttps://www.boncharge.com/livemorehttps://www.athleticgreens.com/livemoreShow notes https://drchatterjee.com/364DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.