Here’s a great piece in the Atlantic (referenced in often-annoying-but-not-this-time David Brooks’ column) about a longitudinal study started at Harvard in the late 30s, still going on today. The study sought to choose some of the most promising and well-adjusted Harvard undergrads (including JFK) and study them as a model of “the good life.” Of course the fates of the study subjects diverged significantly, and the resulting data is a testament to the complexity of human experience.
The gem of wisdom to take away from the study:
In an interview in the March 2008 newsletter to the Grant Study subjects, Vaillant was asked, “What have you learned from the Grant Study men?” Vaillant’s response: “That the only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people.”
