WGS 2017: Long-running Study of Individuals, Adult Life Shows that Money, Fame are Not Answers to Human Happiness

• Harvard Professor of Psychiatry Robert Waldinger explains findings of ongoing 78-year study on adult life
• Enormous disconnect between what young people say they want, and what we know makes individuals happy

Dubai-UAE: 12 February, 2017:  The Global Dialogue for Happiness learned today how the results of an ongoing 78-year-study by Harvard Medical School are providing real insight and understanding on what makes human beings happy. 

Professor Robert Waldinger, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and Zen priest, presented a speech titled ‘A 75-Year Study on Human Happiness’ at the day-long event that was dedicated to the advancement of human happiness around the world. 

Professor Waldinger explained how over 80% of America’s youth listed ‘getting rich’ as a life goal while being famous is the driver for almost half. However, the findings of the study that followed two groups of men over 78 years and now their Baby Boomer children, indicate that happiness is achieved due to very different results.

Professor Waldinger said: “None of it was about wealth, none of it about fame. None of it about how much they achieved in the world. Close relationships were the strongest predictor of what kept people happy throughout their lives.”

Close relationships are also discovered to be a key indicator of health. Individuals with quality relationships are less likely to experience physical ailments or early cognitive decline. Professor Waldinger said: “Loneliness the subjective experience of feeling less connected to others than we want to be, is toxic for happiness and physical health. Remember, you can be lonely in a crowd or in marriage.”

Professor Waldinger also touched upon technology and how it is affecting modern life – in ways both good and bad. While social media can connect us, it can also distort our perception of reality. And while technology can help human beings in everyday life, it can also prove to be a material thing which ‘becomes part of the new normal’ and doesn’t actually make us happy.

Professor Waldinger said: “If a visitor from another planet saw Facebook as a representation of human life, they would believe we were always on vacation or at a party - all of the time. We know rationally that is not the case, but sitting alone or with our laptops browsing through Facebook, it is hard not to feel we are missing out while everyone is enjoying themselves. We are always comparing our insides to other people’s outsides.”

Professor Waldinger ended the session by explaining how the study was continuing to unearth much more about happiness and human existence through following the next generation of individuals – over 2,000 children of the original study which followed Harvard students and children from some of Boston’s poorer families. He said: “Science tells us that human connection is vitally important to happiness and health.”

The World Government Summit (WGS) 2017 has drawn the participation of more than 4,000 personalities from 139 countries around the world, reflecting the leading stature of the summit on regional and international levels and the high interest from governments, global organizations, private and public sector entities, decision makers, entrepreneurs, academics and university students as well as scientists and innovators. WGS 2017 features 150 speakers across 114 sessions that highlight the world’s most pressing challenges and showcase best practices and cutting-edge solutions to deal with them.