The science of happiness: 75 years of research yields these conclusions

Three quarters of a century of research on happiness yields these conclusions (the Grant Study).

Some philosophers and thinkers have proposed the provocative idea that, although happiness could be described as the most important goal in the lives of human beings, it is not really an end goal, but a process, it is not really an end goal, but a process..

Perhaps that is why it is it is worthwhile to study what we call happiness using a wide-angle lens, and perhaps that is why it makes sense to conduct a 75-year research study on it: the Grant Study.

Psychology applied to happiness

Until not so long ago, applied psychology focused on the study of mental disorders and inappropriate behavior patterns.

From the first behaviorists, who basically wanted to turn children into machines to fulfill the goals set for them by their parents, through the direct disciples of Sigmund Freud, for whom practically all people had mental problems, this young science seemed to orbit around the idea of the lesser evil: better to mitigate the symptoms of this disorder than to let it express itself, better to spend time and effort in correcting these behaviors than to make them continue to express themselves, etc.

At the end of the 20th century, positive psychology made its appearance and placed the study of happiness at the Heart of this approach.. However, long before that, one of the most interesting studies on what makes us feel good had already begun. The Harvard University Grant Study, begun in 1938, has been investigating for decades the development of a generation of college-age adults in the 1930s.

Today, many of these volunteers are still alive and Today, many of these volunteers are still alive and continue to show up for interviews and periodic medical exams to let researchers know to let researchers know how their health and outlook on life are changing. In turn, some of the scientists who drove the research during its early years of development are still alive and involved in the project, although many generations have passed through the management and direction of the study.

Seven decades of research condensed into one idea

One of the main objectives of this research is to put into perspective what influences the development of our health and our perception of living a happy life.. That is why one of the questions we have tried to answer has been: what makes us happy?

According to Robert Waldingerthe current director of this project, the answer is: warm social relationships based on trust.. When examining the variables that are related to the perception of being happy, most of them refer to the way in which we relate to others. It is not only important to have many people we have been able to count on throughout our lives: the quality of these relationships, the degree to which we know we can trust them, is also relevant.

What makes us happy

Of course, it is always possible to be more specific. Within the idea that friendly and to some extent intimate social relationships are good for both our health and our level of happiness, there are several nuances to take into account. We know them below.

1. Feeling lonely is associated with poor health

It doesn't matter if many people know our name and talk to us on a regular basis**: the feeling of loneliness is carried inside,** and if it appears, it is more likely that we will not reach the levels of happiness we would like. In addition, we will tend to lead less healthy lifestyles, which will be detrimental to our health.

2. The importance of affection in childhood

In line with the findings of psychologists such as John Bowlby, having had an upbringing in which our parents provided us with affection is a surprisingly important factor that leaves an important mark on our psychological development as adults. Having felt neglected during our first years of life makes us see happiness as more distant..

3. Social relationships are also useful

Having a good relationship with people is not only pleasant and stimulates us psychologically, improving our mental health: it is also associated with more opportunities for professional success and intellectual development, which in turn is linked to the degree of happiness we feel.which in turn is linked to the degree of happiness we feel.