Your friends, family, and partner are helping you live longer. Why? And how?
Discover the true importance of relationships in Episode #304 with clinical psychologist and scientist Professor Marc Schulz, where we unpack the results of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and how relationships are shaping your health more than you might think.
Marc Schulz is a co-author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness (2023), which is being translated into over 40 languages around the world. Dr Schulz is the Associate Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, an 85-year-old longitudinal study of human flourishing in two generations of individuals from over 700 families. He is also an award-winning Professor of Psychology who holds the Sue Kardas PhD 1971 Chair in Psychology at Bryn Mawr College and directs Bryn Mawr’s Data Science Program.
In this episode, you’ll learn about how and why relationships are one of the key factors for health and longevity. Professor Schulz breaks down the key results from the Harvard Study of Adult Development, a study that has been running since 1938, and how you can apply these findings to your life. We cover topics including social fitness, income disparity and longevity, how relationships are formed, the importance of intimacy and vulnerability, and how to improve your health by interacting with strangers.
Specifically, we discuss:
- Intro (00:00)
- Background of Marc Schulz (00:50)
- The Significance of Qualitative Research in Psychology (04:50)
- Introduction to the Harvard Study of Adult Development: A Groundbreaking Inquiry into Human Flourishing (11:30)
- How do You Know if You’re Flourishing in Life? (18:56)
- Key Findings of the Harvard Study of Adult Development (24:19)
- How Relationships Are Connected with Happiness and Longevity (30:51)
- Are Good Relationships Linked to Longer Life? (40:15)
- Importance of Communication and Cultivating Relationships (51:40)
- Impact of Major Transitions to Social Relationships (1:02:13)
- Engaging in Social Activities to Improve Social Fitness (1:08:25)
- How Happiness Has Changed with Technology (1:19:13)
- Maintaining Connections with Family (1:26:42)
- Engaging with Strangers: Tips for Starting Conversations (1:30:08)
- Addressing the Childhood Phrase “Stranger Danger” (1:38:59)
- Defining Relationships in Different Stages of Life (1:41:29)
- Growth in Relationship with Oneself vs. Social Relationships (1:52:35)
- Looking at Human Flourishing at a National Level (1:57:20)
- Takeaways: Future of Harvard Study of Adult Development (2:03:10)
- Outro (2:06:51)
A heartfelt thank you to Dr Schulz for shedding light on this important topic. While we often consider tangible health metrics like obesity, smoking, and cholesterol, this conversation brings relationships into focus as an equally important health consideration. I hope this conversation encourages you to put more intention into your relationships, talk to a stranger on your commute, or call your mum.
Discover more of Professor Marc Schulz’s work at https://www.brynmawr.edu/inside/people/marc-schulz.
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More about Marc Schulz, PhD
Marc Schulz is a co-author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness (2023), which is being translated to over 40 languages around the world. Dr. Schulz is the Associate Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, an 85-year-old longitudinal study of human flourishing in two generations of individuals from over 700 families. He is also an award-winning Professor of Psychology who holds the Sue Kardas PhD 1971 Chair in Psychology at Bryn Mawr College and directs Bryn Mawr’s Data Science Program. He completed his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at U.C. Berkeley and postdoctoral fellowships in clinical and health psychology at Harvard Medical School.
