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FEATURES | EASTERN HORIZON 53

best and the brightest: a group of Today, about sixty of the original because we’re trying to, but because
268 sophomores at—surprise— 724 men are still alive and that’s the way memory works.”
Harvard. This cohort finished their participating in the study. Most are
studies during World War II and in their nineties, and every two Waldinger admits the study is
most went on to serve in the war. years the research staff calls them imperfect and skewed, and that
up and asks if they can send them under other circumstances it would
The second study was started one more set of questions about be shut down. But because of its
at Harvard Law School by a their lives. detailed eyewitness reports, it is
law professor and his wife, uniquely valuable.After seventy-five
who was a social worker. They Undoubtedly, the demographics of years of studying people’s lives, the
wanted to understand why some the study are problematic, since all clearest takeaway is this: over the
disadvantaged children went on to of the original subjects were white long haul, strong relationships are
become delinquents, while others men. About a decade ago, when what keep us healthy and happy.
did not. They selected a group of the researchers first attempted to
456 twelve-to-sixteen-year-old boys address the gender issue by inviting In the early years of the study,
from Boston’s poorest and most the men’s wives to take part, many of this finding came as a surprise
troubled families. the women chided them. “It’s about to the researchers. The idea that
time,” they said. Now, in addition relationships are good for us is as
When the studies were combined, to the wives, the researchers are old as the hills, but there wasn’t
all of the subjects were interviewed studying the men’s more than two proof that relationships are a
and given medical exams. The thousand grown children, and half of good predictor for health, such
researchers went to the subjects’ them are female. “Thank God!” says as whether we get diabetes or
homes and interviewed their Waldinger. heart disease in middle age. So at
parents. And then life took its course. first, the researchers thought they
Rectifying the lack of racial were just seeing some spurious
The men went out into the world and diversity is more complicated, correlation that didn’t mean much.
became factory workers and lawyers, since the focus of the second But it kept coming up, and then it
bricklayers and doctors. “Some generation study is understanding started coming up in other peoples’
developed alcoholism,” Waldinger how the quality of a person’s research, too.
said in his TED talk, “a few developed childhood affects his or her
schizophrenia. Some climbed the emotional and physical wellbeing Eventually, the Harvard Study of
social ladder from the bottom all in midlife. Adult Development identified three
the way to the very top and some key points about relationships and
made that journey in the opposite What we have that’s so rare is their benefit.
direction.” One of the Harvard cohort, information about the subjects’
John F. Kennedy, became president of childhoods from their parents,” It’s not just that social connections
the United States. says Waldinger. “I could collect a are good for us. It’s that loneliness is
new, much more diverse sample of fatal. People who are more socially
Over the years, some of the former baby boomers and ask them what connected are happier, healthier,
tenement boys would ask, “Why do their childhoods were like and then and live longer than people who are
you keep wanting to talk to me? My measure their health now. That less well- connected. Lonely people
life just isn’t that interesting.” But, would be easy to do. But what we tend to experience a decline in their
Waldinger likes to quip, none of know about memory is that it’s health earlier in midlife, their brain
the Harvard grads ever asked that totally creative and faulty. When we functioning degenerates sooner, and
question. remember our childhood, we leave they live shorter lives.
out a lot and we make up a lot. Not