
75-year study on what men require to live a happy life. - bagelicious
http://www.feelguide.com/2013/04/29/75-years-in-th-making-harvard-just-released-its-epic-study-on-what-men-require-to-live-a-happy-life/
======
Bsharp
Harvard undergrads from the 1930's are not a representative sample of any
group other than that specific group. The sample is in no way random or
representative of the general population in the least bit. I can't believe
that anyone thinks that this study has any meaning towards the population in
general.

I'm sorry if that's overly cynical, but why is it so hard for Harvard
academics to understand that the factors affecting people from the Mid-Western
middle class, Southern urban poor, New England suburban wealthy, etc. are all
very different? Not to mention the factors affecting various cultures
internationally.

This is a study of similar people with relatively similar genetics,
backgrounds, upbringing, values, wealth, intelligence, and overall lifestyle.
How is this of any value to people who aren't like them?

EDIT: I'm realizing that the study's conclusions might be getting exaggerated
in the media. I haven't read the actual study, so I'm not sure if the authors
are claiming anything as significant as the media is.

~~~
AndrewKemendo
In general I agree with you that this is unrepresentative for a nation as a
whole - see my other comment for that.

However one advantage of a sample like this is that significant independent
variables like the ones you mentioned are widely held constant, which means
that the evaluated variables will have a stronger power. So it is informative
relative to others.

It would be best to take this study into context with other studies which
compare educational achievement and poverty level.

~~~
Bsharp
Agree that there are other things this study may be beneficial for. I edited
my initial comment to acknowledge that this study and its conclusions are
probably being hyped by the media, and it's actual value and the limitations
of the study may be addressed by the authors in the study.

Unfortunately, the authors' words will be replaced by journalists to get
attention.

------
AndrewKemendo
I can't help but think that, given the sample chosen, the results are
significantly skewed towards the WEIRD [1] population.

Not to say there aren't generalizable conclusions, however I would guess it is
less informative for those living in poverty or in historically oppressed
communities.

[1][http://lesswrong.com/lw/17x/beware_of_weird_psychological_sa...](http://lesswrong.com/lw/17x/beware_of_weird_psychological_samples/)

------
jobu
200 people isn't a huge sample size, but the study is still very interesting.
This part made me laugh:

 _With regards to sex lives, one of the most fascinating discoveries is that
aging liberals have way more sex. Political ideology had no bearing on overall
life satisfaction, but the most conservative men on average shut down their
sex lives around age 68, while the most liberal men had healthy sex lives well
into their 80s. Vaillant writes, “I have consulted urologists about this, they
have no idea why it might be so.”_

~~~
pwnna
It definitely is not a big sample size. However, considering that 200 people
participated in the study for this many years.. I would say it is a big sample
size just in terms of practicality (how many people would agree to participate
in this? This study essentially becomes a part of their lives.. for all the
time they live.)

~~~
ekianjo
Yeah, the profile of people who would agree to participate in this study is
certainly "biased". Not sure what you can do with the results.

~~~
pwnna
This may be true, but I'm not sure how they are biased (what factors? Are
these men more likely to be married because they're willing to go through such
a study? More likely to not..).

------
ddinh
Website is down. Google cache link:
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?hl=en&q=cache%3...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?hl=en&q=cache%3Awww.feelguide.com%2F2013%2F04%2F29%2F75-years-
in-th-making-harvard-just-released-its-epic-study-on-what-men-require-to-live-
a-happy-life%2F)

The key point: _In Vallant’s own words, the #1 most important finding from the
Grant Study is this: “The seventy-five years and twenty million dollars
expended on the Grant Study points to a straightforward five-word conclusion:
Happiness is love. Full stop.”_

~~~
Scienz
It's hard to take a "scientific study" seriously when the researchers claim
the results to be some worthless platitude like "happiness is love." That is
hardly an objective conclusion from the findings.

------
sachdevap
This article doesn't get anywhere close to encapsulating the study. I suggest
people read [http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/06/what-
mak...](http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/06/what-makes-us-
happy/307439/) for a better coverage.

------
mathgladiator
cache link:
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:tuBAAbS...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:tuBAAbSPjXUJ:www.feelguide.com/2013/04/29/75-years-
in-th-making-harvard-just-released-its-epic-study-on-what-men-require-to-live-
a-happy-life/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us)

------
javert
I find it amusing that the vast majority of the comments here are critiquing
the methodology (nothing wrong with that), instead of discussing the
conclusion: "Happiness is love. Full stop."

HN will be HN.

~~~
AndrewKemendo
Well, with a flawed or skewed methodology, the conclusion isn't nearly as
relevant.

~~~
javert
Yep, that is a good point.

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narrator
TL;DR Things will turn out fine if you don't become an alcoholic and maintain
family relationships adequately. Going to Harvard doesn't hurt either.

Let me rephrase that, the most common way to screw up your life badly after
you've gone to Harvard is to become an alcoholic.

------
annnnd
Interesting study! The question is of course how applicable the results are...

I realize Facebook and Twitter are not around long enough to perform a similar
study on their data, but I wonder if it would be possible to test just some of
the findings using the data mining techniques?

------
justinsteele
[http://www.businessinsider.com/grant-study-reveals-what-
make...](http://www.businessinsider.com/grant-study-reveals-what-makes-us-
happy-2013-4) Original article.

------
dschiptsov
Vedanta + Buddha's teaching?) ( _not_ any particular Tibetan sect)

~~~
blinkingled
That might sound cliche but I wanted to add that it really helped me. I used
to have a very negative/unhappy general conditioning but the basics of
Buddhism have helped me make my life more pleasant/happy in general.

~~~
dschiptsov
A cliche is about chanting Om [mani padme hum] without any understanding or
sitting on a cushion [in special yoga pants] for $30/h ,)

~~~
blinkingled
Well, that too :)

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ryanhunt
I fully expected this entire article to contain only 3 characters, ending in
ex.

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detcader
And for most of those 75 years, marital rape was legal.

