Accessibility links
The Key To Happiness, According To A Decades-Long Study : Consider This from NPR If you could change one thing in your life to become a happier person — like your income, a job, your relationships or your health — what would make the biggest difference?

That's the question Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger has been attempting to answer through decades of research. He's the director of "the world's longest-running scientific study of happiness," and he spoke with Ari Shapiro about the factor that appears to make the biggest difference in people's lives.

Waldinger is a co-author of The Good Life: Lessons from the world's longest scientific study of happiness.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Consider This from NPR

The Key To Happiness, According To A Decades-Long Study

The Key To Happiness, According To A Decades-Long Study

Listen · 9:45
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1149427841/1149550185" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Enlarge this image

Sending a text to a friend can bring a smile to your face. Now, research suggests it could also help bring long-term health benefits. guoya/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
guoya/Getty Images

Sending a text to a friend can bring a smile to your face. Now, research suggests it could also help bring long-term health benefits.

guoya/Getty Images

If you could change one thing in your life to become a happier person — like your income, a job, your relationships or your health — what would make the biggest difference?

That's the question Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger has been attempting to answer through decades of research. He's the director of "the world's longest-running scientific study of happiness," and he spoke with Ari Shapiro about the factor that appears to make the biggest difference in people's lives.

Waldinger is a co-author of The Good Life: Lessons from the world's longest scientific study of happiness.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Lee Hale and Megan Lim. It was edited by William Troop and Christopher Intagliata. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.