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The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

509: Dr. Marc Schulz - Lessons From The World's Longest Scientific Study Of Happiness (The Good Life)

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Ryan Hawk

Business, Careers, Management

4.91.4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2023

⏱️ 62 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Text Hawk to 66866 to receive a carefully curated email from me each Monday morning to help you start your week off right... They are called "Mindful Monday." A perfect opportunity for you to be more thoughtful as you start your week.

Full show notes at www.LearningLeader.com

Twitter/IG: @RyanHawk12    https://twitter.com/RyanHawk12

Dr. Marc Schulz is the Associate Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and an award-winning professor at Bryn Mawr College, where he directs the Data Science Program and is the Sue Kardas Ph.D. 1971 Chair in Psychology. He completed his BA at Amherst College and his Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley. He is the author of The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. 

Notes:

  • "Relationships are at the core of human flourishing."
  • Friendships - Map out your social universe. Are the connections uplifting or depleting? Ask, "what do I value about the person?" Be intentional about your relationships and how you invest in them.
  • The quality of the relationship you have with your partner will determine how long you will live.
  • As we get older, we tend to get happier. We accumulate emotional wisdom. We should focus more on relationships that give us emotional sustenance.
  • This work is built on a bedrock of scientific research. At its heart, the Harvard Study of Adult Development. An extraordinary scientific endeavor that began in 1938, is still going Bob is the 4th director of the study, and Marc is its associate director.
  • "Generativity" – In psychology, expanding our concerns and efforts beyond our own lives is called generativity and it's a key to unlocking the vibrancy and excitement of midlife.
    • When asked at the end of their lives, "What do you wish you'd done less of? And more of?" The study participants often referenced their middle years and regretted having spent so much time worrying and so little time acting in a way that made them feel alive.
  • The story of John Marsden and Leo DeMarco… Leo lived a rich life because of the relationships he fostered with his wife, daughters, and close friends. John put all of his effort into becoming a lawyer, becoming well-known, and didn't focus on his relationships. They ended up on opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to happiness.
  • Research has shown that people who have a close colleague at work are more engaged and productive than those who don't.
  • Close to half of your waking moments are spent thinking about something other than what you are doing.
  • Loneliness increases your risk of death as much as smoking or obesity.
  • Evolutionary theories: Survival depends on us coming together as groups. We are social creatures.
  • How to handle remote/hybrid working environments?
    • There is a cost to not being together. There is a cost to working alone.
    • Friendships need repeated exposure. Doing tasks together builds friendships. You can't do those well remotely.
  • Strangers on a Train: What do you want to do while on a train? Listen to music or talk with the stranger sitting next to you?
    • Most will say that they would rather put their headphones on, listen to music, or read a book.
    • However, the research suggests that you'll be happier if you spoke with a stranger on the train.
  • Life/Career advice:
    • Think about the nitty gritty of a job. Talk to people doing the job. Spend extended time with them while they are doing the job. See what it's like.
  •  

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Friendships and other relationships that help us grow are really important.

0:04.0

We all have old friends that we like to hang out with and it reminds us of old times.

0:08.0

But sometimes we realize that it's just about old times.

0:12.0

So good friends also nurture us in a way that helps us grow.

0:16.0

They might encourage exploration.

0:18.0

They might bring new ideas to us that we hadn't thought about.

0:21.0

So growth is also an important part of all relationships.

0:24.0

Welcome to The Learning Leaders Show, presented by Insight Global.

0:32.0

I am your host, Ryan Hawk.

0:35.0

Thank you so much for being here.

0:37.0

Text Hawk to 66866 to become part of Mindful Monday.

0:42.0

You along with tens of thousands of other learning leaders from all over the world.

0:46.0

We'll receive a carefully curated email from you each Monday morning to help you start your week off right.

0:52.0

You'll also receive the tales about how my book, The Pursuit of Excellence,

0:56.0

will help you become a more effective leader.

1:00.0

Text Hawk to 66866 now on to tonight's featured leader.

1:04.0

This is the great one.

1:05.0

Dr. Mark Schultz is the associate director of the Harvard study of adult development.

1:10.0

He is a practicing therapist with postdoctoral training in health and clinical psychology

1:16.0

at Harvard Medical School.

1:18.0

He is also the author of a new book called The Good Life.

1:23.0

Lessons from the world's longest scientific study of happiness.

...

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