Robert Waldinger: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness
羅伯.沃丁格: 是什麼造就美好人生?從最長期對「快樂」之研究而來的前車之鑑
Robert Waldinger is the Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies in history. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
and your energy?
most important life goals were,
was to get rich.
of those same young adults
是變得名聲響亮。
to lean in to work, to push harder
are the things that we need to go after
and how those choices work out for them,
為他們帶來什麼結果-
are almost impossible to get.
to remember the past,
is anything but 20/20.
但是要預測未來是很難的;
of what happens to us in life,
大多數發生在我們身上的事情,
is downright creative.
from the time that they were teenagers
-從他們少年一路直到老朽-
happy and healthy?
of adult life that's ever been done.
成年人生涯研究,
the lives of 724 men,
742 位男士的生活,
their home lives, their health,
without knowing how their life stories
翻轉我們也毫不知情。
fall apart within a decade
drop out of the study,
further down the field.
而且無人讓該計畫再做出進展。
研究人員的堅毅,
of several generations of researchers,
of two groups of men.
兩組男士的生活,
at Harvard College.
during World War II,
to serve in the war.
from Boston's poorest neighborhoods,
里坊的男孩子們,
from some of the most troubled
many without hot and cold running water.
很多人家還都沒有自來水和熱水。
接受採訪、做健康檢查、
and we interviewed their parents.
grew up into adults
進入社會各階層,
and bricklayers and doctors,
泥水匠、醫師,
A few developed schizophrenia.
偶有人罹患精神分裂症、
攀越社會梯階一路飛黃騰達、
all the way to the very top,
in the opposite direction.
standing here today, 75 years later,
the study still continues.
and dedicated research staff
跟認真賣力的研究人手
and asks them if we can send them
一份有關他們生活的問卷。
about their lives.
My life just isn't that interesting."
我的人生一點就是不精采呀!」;
of these lives,
from their doctors.
about their deepest concerns.
we finally asked the wives
到頭來我們問了他們的老婆:
as members of the study,
作為研究受訪者成員呢?」;
"You know, it's about time."
from the tens of thousands of pages
這些人生中收集到-
or fame or working harder and harder.
賣命工作無關,
from this 75-year study is this:
最明確的訊息是這個:
happier and healthier. Period.
讓我們保持更開心、健康!」。
about relationships.
三大前車之鑑:
are really good for us,
who are more socially connected
and they live longer
turns out to be toxic.
than they want to be from others
than people who are not lonely.
is that at any given time,
will report that they're lonely.
說他們是孤單的!
can be lonely in a crowd
the number of friends you have,
you're in a committed relationship,
在一段感情之中,
of your close relationships that matters.
of conflict is really bad for our health.
對我們的健康實在是不好的,
without much affection,
perhaps worse than getting divorced.
或許比起離婚還要更糟糕。
warm relationships is protective.
緣份之中是受到保護的。
all the way into their 80s,
男士們一路直到他們 80 多歲,
into a happy, healthy octogenarian
everything we knew about them
我們已知的每一項東西,
cholesterol levels
were going to grow old.
in their relationships.
in their relationships at age 50
seem to buffer us
我們不住變老的大小打擊變故,
of getting old.
when they had more physical pain,
in unhappy relationships,
reported more physical pain,
about relationships and our health
與健康的第三個前車之鑑就是:
don't just protect our bodies,
in a securely attached relationship
is protective,
安穩依靠的緣份是有保護的,
on the other person in times of need,
stay sharper longer.
can't count on the other one,
earlier memory decline.
they don't have to be smooth all the time.
不必隨時隨地都是很融洽的;
could bicker with each other
日復一日與彼此在小事上爭執,
could really count on the other
情勢中仰賴另一方的時候般長久,
on their memories.
are good for our health and well-being,
我們的健康與福分是有益的」,
and so easy to ignore?
卻又這麼容易輕忽掉呢?
and keep them that way.
以及保持下去的東西;
and they're complicated
to family and friends,
與朋友這等不輕鬆的事情,
who were the happiest in retirement
退休後最快活的受訪人
to replace workmates with new playmates.
in that recent survey,
were starting out as young adults
未成氣候的成年人開始出社會時
and high achievement
to have a good life.
our study has shown
研究接二連三呈現出
the people who leaned in to relationships,
社群之緣份的人。
or you're 40, or you're 60.
to relationships even look like?
are practically endless.
as replacing screen time with people time
螢幕的時間般簡單的一些事,
by doing something new together,
了無新意的緣份增添幾分顏色-
who you haven't spoken to in years,
沒講過話的家庭成員;
造成嚴重的損害。
from Mark Twain.
一句引言來收尾,
heartburnings, callings to account.
so to speak, for that."
看在愛的份上就說出來。」
with good relationships.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Robert Waldinger - Psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, Zen priestRobert Waldinger is the Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies in history.
Why you should listen
Robert Waldinger is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and Zen priest. He is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and directs the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies of adult life ever done. The Study tracked the lives of two groups of men for over 75 years, and it now follows their Baby Boomer children to understand how childhood experience reaches across decades to affect health and wellbeing in middle age. He writes about what science and Zen can teach us about healthy human development.
Dr. Waldinger is the author of numerous scientific papers as well as two books. He teaches medical students and psychiatry residents at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and he is a Senior Dharma Teacher in Boundless Way Zen.
To keep abreast of research findings, insights and more, visit robertwaldinger.com.
Robert Waldinger | Speaker | TED.com