(no subject)

[randomness]

From "What Makes Us Happy?" in the June 2009 Atlantic magazine:

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.”

Edit: an LJ friend pointed out that the article was in the Atlantic, not Harper's, and I corrected.

Comments

[nafe.livejournal.com]

Uhm, I just read that story in the Atlantic. Is it appearing in both?

[n5red.livejournal.com]

That confirms what I've been thinking for a long time. I don't really matter.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

That was fascinating, thank you.

"You can be anybody you want to be
You can love whoever you will
You can travel any country where your heart leads
And know I will love you still
You can live by yourself, you can gather friends around
You can choose one special one
And the only measure of your words and your deeds
Will be the love you leave behind when you're done."

--Fred Small, "Everything Possible"

[marmota.livejournal.com]

>"That the only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people."

Along with being white, male, and with the privilege of affording to go to Harvard and the networking that provides, sure. Quantifying this helps the rest of us in a very different century how?

There are a number of uplifting comments in the article, but they're all stated from unrealistic socioeconomic positions.

(edited, previously version was too snarky)

[bloodstones.livejournal.com]

Hey! Do you know that I was an RA for this study for about two years? The glowing recommendation of Bob Waldinger, who's slowly taking over for Valliant is, I suspect, one of main reasons I got into grad school.

[stolen-tea.livejournal.com]

A beautiful article. Thank you!

[outlawradio.livejournal.com]

That article was so amazing. Ironically my Mom recommended it, and she should know from unhappy Ivy league grads. *heh* But I'd head about it from David Brooks' oversimplifying butchery summary in the NYT this past week and was intrigued to read the real thing. Most interesting was how often alcoholism was a problem in the group simply because, with their wealth and connections, it was much harder for them to "hit bottom" when they were getting sloshed at the club every night. One of the failings mentioned in the comments above.

Here's to squeezing the hell out of that lemon!