WE REALLY DO NEED EACH OTHER

The recent Beta Theta Pi magazine has an article about preventing suicide and refers to a Harvard study [The Harvard Study of Adult Development] and comments from the study's fourth director Robert Waldinger, M.D. [who is  a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School] who concludes that friendships and relationships in general are highly correlated with happiness and contentment with one's life. Since 1938 Harvard researchers have studied 724 men for 79 years. They found that if one is to do well in their life they need to have close ties to their family, friends and community. These close relationships also seem to have significant impact on overall health. With close relationships there was more happiness and these men were healthier and even lived longer. The researchers concluded that lonliness was toxic. Unfortunately, frequently more than one in five Americans say that they are lonely. This self-report of lonliness is what is coorelated with poor health as well as feeling unhappy. Further emphazing the importance of close relationships is the fact that the quality of relationships at age 50 is what predicted health at age 80. Also, having a close relationship in your 80's will protect you from cognitive decline. The ability to count on your partner was what seemed to be very important and this applied to work relationships between employees and their supervisors as well. So, prioritize relationships and seek close connections to others. It could be the answer to long life and happiness.

What do you think?