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Reflections on what it means to live a good life—drawn from research, clinical work, and everyday experience.

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    Video

    Debunking the #1 myth about enlightenment | Big Think

    Enlightenment: After the ecstasy, the laundry. Why enlightenment is never an end in itself. Ask people what it means to be enlightened...

  • Article

    ‘Harvard Thinking’: Can people change? | The Harvard Gazette

    One thing is certain in the new year — we’ll evolve, with or without resolutions. In podcast, experts consider our responsibility....

  • Audio

    The Secrets to Building a Happy Life and Raising Happy Kids w/ Dr. Robert Waldinger

    This week, join me in conversation with Dr. Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and the director of the longest-running study on happiness and well-being, to discuss the secrets to building a happy life and raising happy kids. Dr. Waldinger shares insights from the study and offers practical advice on how to cultivate strong relationships, find…

  • Video

    Americans are lonely. That has political consequences. | ABC News

    Galen Druke speaks with Robert Waldinger, Harvard professor and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development.

  • Audio

    Self-Consciousness with Chrissy Teigen

    Chrissy talks with Dr. Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and author of The Good Life, about what eight decades of research reveal makes life truly meaningful. His answer isn’t money, fame, or achievement—it’s the quality of our connections and how we nurture them across a lifetime. Five Key Takeaways: Relationships Drive…

  • Audio

    Feel Better, Live More

    From The World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness – Professors Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz. They are directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, an extraordinary research project that began in 1938 and has followed participants for more than eight decades. In this clip, they explain why nurturing high-quality relationships may be one of…

The research collection

For those who want to go deeper

The ideas here are grounded in decades of scientific research. A small number of studies have shaped how we understand what makes a good life.

This is a curated selection of key research from the Harvard Study of Adult Development and Bob’s other work—shared for those who want to explore the evidence more closely.

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research collection

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