At Quester, we see attitudes towards companies and brands turn on a better understanding of the happiness individuals draw from their personal experiences. Are you digging deeper into what factors lead to the true happiness your customers derive from their interaction with you?
Harvard University has been consistently conducting its “Study of Adult Development” for 75 years. Comparing and contrasting men from two groups – students at Harvard and groups of boys from some of Boston’s most impoverished neighborhoods, the study has looked at the personal stories of each man as well as their medical records. With this consistency of study has come a consistent outcome: it is good relationships that keep us healthier and happier. Going deeper, social connections are really good while loneliness kills; the quality of close relationships is far more important than the number (study participants most satisfied in relationship at age 50 were most happy at age 80); good relationships transfer to sharper memories for older Americans. The study also concluded why this outcome is so easy to ignore – because relationships are messy and hard to maintain. But when it means extending your life and being happy doing it, perhaps leaning into relationships beats seeking fame and wealth.
What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness
