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I love TED (technology, education, design) talks.
In November, 2015, in one such talk, Harvard psychiatrist Robert Waldinger limned the longest study on happiness. It was of Harvard graduates and spanned the over 8 decades since 1938.
He himself has only been alive since 1951.
He titled his under 13’ talk the same as the title of this piece.
Some, including many millennials, think the keys to happiness are fame and fortune. It turns out they are mistaken; those keys won’t fit the lock.
You can listen to Waldinger’s talk here:
He concludes the key to a good life is relationships.
In the winter of my years, I can look back with the benefit of hindsight.
Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855), Danish philosopher, opined that one of the difficulties of life is it can only be properly appreciated in retrospect, but must be lived in prospect.
Decades ago, I briefly knew a young lady. She and I were of similar age, but, because of an accelerated…
