Interesting article over at Atlantic with a really rather beautiful conclusion.
“The project is one of the longest-running—and probably the most exhaustive—longitudinal studies of mental and physical well-being in history. Begun in 1937 as a study of healthy, well-adjusted Harvard sophomores (all male), it has followed its subjects for more than 70 years.
From their days of bull sessions in Cambridge to their active duty in World War II, through marriages and divorces, professional advancement and collapse—and now well into retirement—the men have submitted to regular medical exams, taken psychological tests, returned questionnaires, and sat for interviews. The files holding the data are as thick as unabridged dictionaries.”
And the lead researcher, Geroge Vaillant’s conclusion, based on this exhaustive research?
“Happiness isn’t about me. Try being funny. Try falling in love. Try forgiving someone … Happiness is love. Full stop.”