What makes for a happy life, a fulfilling life? A good life? According to Robert Waldinger, MD, and Marc Schultz, Ph.D., the directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest longitudinal biopsychosocial study of human development ever conducted, the answer is simple: relationships. The stronger our relationships, the more likely we are to live happy, satisfying, and overall healthier lives. In fact, the Study, which began in 1938, and is still going strong, reveals that the strength of our connections with others can predict the health of both our bodies and our brains as we go through life.

Waldinger and Schultz’s new book, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, offers invaluable insights. The study has tracked the same individuals and their families, asking thousands of questions and taking hundreds of measurements—from brain scans to blood work—with the goal of discovering what really makes for a good life. Through all the years of studying these lives, strong relationships in all their forms stand out for their impact on physical health, mental health, and longevity.

In 2015, FAN hosted George Vaillant, MD, who directed the Study from 1970-2005. Among the many fascinating findings he presented: Men who had warm relationships with their mothers earn more than men whose mothers were uncaring, and are less likely to develop dementia. Those who were close with their fathers have lower rates of adult anxiety and increased life satisfaction after age 75.

Waldinger is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, director of the Center for Psychodynamic Therapy and Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, and cofounder of the Lifespan Research Foundation. His 2016 TEDxBeaconStreet Talk, “What Makes a Good Life,” has more than 42 million views, placing it in the top-ten of all TED talks.

Waldinger will be in conversation with Arthur Brooks, Ph.D. (FAN ’22), host of the popular Atlantic podcast How to Build a Happy Life and column “How to Build a Life.” Prof. Brooks is the bestselling author of, most recently, From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. He is the Bloomberg Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School.