Scientists, philosophers and religions have tried to define life, happiness and health for years, but still nobody in the world is capable of defining them. Of course, the more you know, the more uncertain you will become. Grant study (one of the longest studies at Harvard) is one fair proof of determinants of happiness, on earth.
It is a 75-year longitudinal study of 268 physically and mentally healthy Harvard college sophomores (Second year university students) from the classes of 1939–1944. It has run in tandem with a study called “The Glueck Study”, which included a second cohort of 456 disadvantaged nondelinquent inner-city youths who grew up in Boston neighborhoods between 1940 and 1945 [Vaillant G. and Mukamal K., 2001] All the research participants were males and of American nationality. They were continued to be studied to this day, using questionnaires, interviews and medical investigations, at least once every two years.
The study group, particularly the principle investigators wrote many scientific papers and published 3 books over the course of the study. First book was published in 1977 by the principle investigator (then) George Vaillant "Adaptation to life", when the participants of the study were at the age of 47. It followed the second book which was published in 2002, which was titled: "Aging well". Aging well presented data and findings of the study, when the inner city men were at the age of 70. Last but not least "Triumphs of Experience, sharing more findings from the Grant Study" was published in 2012.
However, the TED talk by Robert Waldinger, the incumbent director of the study at Harvard, in 2015, drew massive international attention to the Grant Study. It was titled "What makes a good life: Lessons from the longest study on happiness".
Reading these papers and books will give you goosebumps, but it would not help you realise the relevance of findings and it's bearing on real life. The more you run into fake people and cold hearts, the more you realise the biggest fears of life. You understand it better, as you grow old. Aging is a process, just the way, truth is a process.
George Vaillant once said "Happiness is love. full-stop" and Robert W. concluded his TED speech saying "Good relationships keep us happier and healthier, period". Read more on the findings of the study and here are two links for a succinct account of study results from Huffingtonpost and Businessinsider
You can watch the TED speech of Robert Waldinger here.
