A Harvard Psychiatrist & Zen Priest on Why Relationships Are More Powerful Than Any Longevity Hack

The finding that we didn't believe at first, it was that the people who lived the longest and stayed the healthiest had the warmest relationships with other people. They were the most socially connected. We didn't believe that because we thought, how could your relationships actually get inside your body and change your physiology? How could that be a thing? The myth that we are sold that wealth will get you happy, right? And that is such a falsehood. Loneliness is a stressor. Isolation is a stressor. And so what happens is there's a low level of chronic inflammation, a low level of cortisol in the bloodstream that shouldn't be there. So those can gradually break down the immune system. the coronary arteries, the joints. And that's how you can get accelerated diseases of aging in multiple systems through one single cause like loneliness, social isolation.

This is why I'm always banging on and on about optimizing for physical function and nutrient density and recovery and sleep, because I do think they have just tremendous impact on brain chemistry.

We know that exercise is one of the great mood elevators. It's like the best antidepressant on the planet.

I haven't looked at that data recently, but I do know that people who have a positive outlook generally live a longer, healthier life. How much of this is genetic?

Sonia Lubomirsky is a psychologist who's done some good research on this, and she estimates that about 50% of our happiness levels are genetically based. About 10% of our happiness levels today are based on our current life circumstances. Not very much, right? And then about 40% is malleable. We can change our levels of happiness.

I ask every one of the scientists during every episode, you know, what is the most underrated longevity hack? And every one of them has said... Today's guest has spent decades leading the longest running scientific study of human happiness ever conducted. For more than 85 years now, this remarkable Harvard study has followed the lives of hundreds of people searching for the answer to one of humanity's oldest questions. What actually makes for a good life? Now, the findings of the study are beautifully simple. And in this age where we're more digitally connected than ever, you often feel more disconnected from real life than before. I think this conversation couldn't be more relevant. So without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Bob Waldinger. Welcome. thank you um bob you are and correct me if i'm butchering the nomenclature here a psychiatrist a psychoanalyst and an ordained zen priest yes that's an odd mix

it's a very odd

mix how did that end up happening

i don't think that that combination exists in the world except for maybe one or two other people i think i'm a a strange unicorn

Explain to me how that ended up happening. What was the order in which that occurred?

Okay. The first that occurred was psychiatrist. So I went to medical school. I realized that I was super interested in psychiatry. That was the most fascinating part of medicine for me. So I did a residency in psychiatry. And then I realized that I love talking in depth with people about their lives. And at that point, the way to get