Positive Personality and Resilience

Although there are hundreds of studies that support the findings from this article in the Journal of Psychology & Behavioral Science, it reminded me of an excellent TED talk and review of the world’s longest-lasting study on happiness.

Known as the Harvard Study of Adult Development, for over 75 years they have been “tracking the lives of 724 men, year after year, asking about their work, their home lives, their health and of course asking all along the way without knowing how their life stories were going to turn out.”

The study is equally fascinating and rare.  It has expanded to include the spouses and over 2,000 children of these men as well. Since 1938, the study has looked at two groups of men. The first group consisted of Harvard students and the other consisted of men from the poorest neighborhoods and projects of Boston.

If you haven’t watched the fourth director of the study, Dr. Robert Waldinger, explain the results, I won’t ruin the surprise for you. Go here to watch his TED talk and share it with someone you love. The things that make you the happiest in life are not what you might imagine.