Dr. Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, speaking at the New York Times’ Wellness Festival in Brooklyn on May 7, 2025. In doing so, he shared that deep, meaningful connections are the most powerful predictor of a long and healthy life. This conclusion, which surprised most of the scientists involved, highlights the importance of social interaction for health and well-being.
While answering questions about his fascinating TED talk on the importance of personal relationships, Dr. Waldinger said that people need to be deliberate about cultivating their relationships. He called this proactive engagement a federal partner’s “superpower,” often mysterious and unseen, but so critical to successful outcomes. “People who are best at relationships were the ones who actively nurtured their social ties,” he noted.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest-running scientific study of adult life. Yet the evidence proves time and again that strong social connections improve physical and mental health. Dr. Waldinger emphasized how socializing can drastically reduce one’s risk of dementia, stroke, and depression. And socializing more is a boon for longevity, he said.
“In today’s increasingly virtual world, he highlighted the importance of being deliberate in keeping in touch with friends and family. “Most of us take our relationships for granted,” he remarked, suggesting that genuine effort is vital for nurturing these connections. He mused that “how could our relationships actually get into our bodies and actually change our physiology?”
Dr. Waldinger’s research shows us that what we have long known—that social connection is an indicator of better health—may not even scratch the surface. He went on to describe how relationships serve as buffers to stress, leading to better overall health. “People who don’t have connections with other people don’t have the same stress regulation mechanisms in their lives that people with good relationships have,” he said.
These results call into question many taken-for-granted assumptions in our culture about what constitutes success and happiness. Dr. Waldinger contended that chasing after material success—whether it is wealth or the number of friends on social media—doesn’t lead to fulfillment. “These badges of achievement are quantifiable, so they look like they’re gonna make us happy, but they don’t,” he explained.
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