A fulfilling life
What factors contribute to our health and happiness as we navigate through life? If you were to invest in becoming your ideal self, where would you direct your time and energy? A recent survey of millennials revealed that over 80 percent identified becoming wealthy as a key life goal, while around 50 percent also aspired to achieve fame. We are constantly encouraged to work harder and reach for more, leading us to believe that these pursuits are essential for a fulfilling life. However, gaining comprehensive insights into people's choices and their outcomes is challenging. Much of what we understand about life stems from asking people to recall their past, but memory can be unreliable and selective. Imagine if we could observe entire lives as they evolve over time. What if we could study individuals from their teenage years into old age to discover what truly promotes happiness and health? The Harvard Study of Adult Development aims to do just that. For 75 years, this extensive study has followed the lives of 724 men, gathering information about their careers, personal lives, and health, all while remaining unaware of their eventual life paths. Such long-term studies are uncommon, as many collapse due to participant drop-out, funding issues, or researcher turnover. Yet, through a combination of dedication and fortunate circumstances, this research has persisted. Currently, about 60 of the original participants are still alive and involved, mostly in their 90s, and we have started studying over 2,000 of their children. I am the fourth director of this ongoing study, which began in 1938 with two distinct groups. The first consisted of Harvard sophomores who completed their education during World War II, many serving in the military afterward. The second group comprised boys from Boston's lowest-income neighborhoods, selected for their backgrounds in some of the most disadvantaged families from that era. These teenagers underwent interviews and medical examinations, and we consulted their parents to gather comprehensive data. As they matured, they pursued various careers, becoming factory workers, lawyers, doctors, and even a U.S. President. Some faced challenges like alcoholism or mental health issues, while others rose or fell within the social hierarchy. The study's founders could never have predicted that I would be here 75 years later, announcing its ongoing progress. Every two years, our dedicated research team reaches out to these men for additional insights into their lives. Some from the inner-city Boston group question why we continue to study them, thinking their lives are unremarkable. Conversely, the Harvard participants do not voice such concerns. To gather the most accurate picture of their experiences, we conduct in-depth interviews in their homes, obtain their medical history, collect blood samples, and utilize brain scans.
