Forget hedonism: a good marriage and a puppy are secret to a happy life
Men who find fulfilling relationships are more likely to live longer, a groundbreaking study has found.
Good relationships, connections
and resilience are the secret to happiness for men, a study has
found Photo:
ALAMY
A loving family, fulfilling relationships and owning a puppy could be the key
to finding long-lasting happiness, a study has found.
A 72-year-long research programme, which observed 268 men from youth to old
age, found a successful marriage and close relationships are the key to a happy
life.
The connection between friends and family was found to be far more important
than any benefits inherited from birth, such as wealth or class.
Researchers, who have been undertaking the Grant Study since 1940, found a
loving family and wife is “much more important than having a trust fund or a
straight line to the House of Lords”.
George Vaillant, the current director of the study from Harvard Medical
School, said the study of happiness had revealed men who are in a fulfilling
relationship had, on average, lived longer.
“The finding on happiness is that happiness is the wrong word,” he said of
the study.
“The right words for happiness are emotional intelligence, relationships, joy, connections and resilience. Happiness is too close to hedonism and getting lucky.”
Appearing on Radio 4’s Today programme, he said fulfilling relationships were the key to a happy and long life.
He added only four of the 31 single men in the study were still alive today, compared with more than a third of those in “good relationships”.
The study has followed young, white, healthy, male college sophomores from 1940 to the present day.
Professor Vaillant added it was never too late to find happiness.
“Having a loving family is terribly important, but from 70 to 90 years old you’d be surprised at the people who, despite enormous deprivation, manage to find love later on.
“If you want to be happy, and don’t have a six-month-old baby to trade smiles with, get yourself a puppy.”
Speaking of the benefits of overseeing such a study, he admitted: “I have had a awfully good time following people.
“It give me an awful lot of hope.”
“The right words for happiness are emotional intelligence, relationships, joy, connections and resilience. Happiness is too close to hedonism and getting lucky.”
Appearing on Radio 4’s Today programme, he said fulfilling relationships were the key to a happy and long life.
He added only four of the 31 single men in the study were still alive today, compared with more than a third of those in “good relationships”.
The study has followed young, white, healthy, male college sophomores from 1940 to the present day.
Professor Vaillant added it was never too late to find happiness.
“Having a loving family is terribly important, but from 70 to 90 years old you’d be surprised at the people who, despite enormous deprivation, manage to find love later on.
“If you want to be happy, and don’t have a six-month-old baby to trade smiles with, get yourself a puppy.”
Speaking of the benefits of overseeing such a study, he admitted: “I have had a awfully good time following people.
“It give me an awful lot of hope.”
