[One Sip of a Book] Happiness Comes After Hardship? 'Be Happy Right Now'

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with readers, creating a connection with the book. We excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from books.

True to its title, The Longest Happiness Study in the World deals with the longest research on happiness in the world. It is a story about happiness that began in 1938 at Harvard Medical School and has tracked the lives of over 2,000 people for 85 years. No one wishes to be unhappy, and it is no exaggeration to say that everyone lives to be happy. However, the author poses the question of whether we truly understand happiness correctly. While it is commonly believed that happiness can be enjoyed through achievements reached by effort, the author scientifically proves that this is not the case. Happiness does not come only after professional success or making a huge amount of money. Rather, it is right in front of us, within arm’s reach.

Try to recall what you ate last Tuesday evening or who you talked to on this day last year. You will realize how much of our lives have disappeared from memory. As time passes, we forget more and more details, and this study shows that the very act of recalling an event can actually alter our memories. In short, from the perspective of using memory as a tool to study past events, human memory is inaccurate and, in the worst cases, fabricates things that never happened. But what if we could continuously observe the overall life unfolding over time? What if we studied people from their teenage years to old age to identify what truly matters for their health and happiness, and which investments are genuinely effective? That is exactly what we did. - From Chapter 1: What Makes a Good Life?

Benjamin Franklin said, “Money has never made a man happy, nor will it.” Maya Angelou said, “Don’t aim for money. Instead, pursue what you love and do it so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.” To summarize their words in one phrase: ‘You cannot buy happiness with money’?a clich?. This idea is so common that it forms part of global capitalist culture. People always say money is not the answer, yet money remains the central object of desire in almost every culture. Why is that? Because seeing how money affects people’s daily lives every day makes us think that happiness can be bought with money. - From Chapter 2: Why Relationships Determine Happiness and Wealth

It is true that we cannot fully control fate. Just because luck was on your side doesn’t mean you earned it by your own power, and just because luck was against you doesn’t mean you deserved the misfortune. We cannot overcome the chaos of life. But the more positive relationships you cultivate, the higher your chances of surviving and thriving on this difficult journey. - From Chapter 3: The People You Meet on the Map of Life

Many Harvard study participants fill out questionnaires every two years and have regular interviews. Thanks to this, they say they have gained a refreshing perspective on their lives and relationships. We ask them to think deeply about themselves and their loved ones because this process is helpful. However, as mentioned earlier, this benefit is incidental. They volunteered for the study, and our main goal was to learn about their lives. During this chapter, we want to help you develop your own mini Harvard study. We have summarized various useful questions asked to participants into a tool that can help you assess your social fitness. - From Chapter 4: Social Fitness, Maintaining Good Relationships

Let’s pay attention to verbs we cannot avoid responsibility for, like ‘waste’ time or ‘spend’ attention. Modern language, especially English, contains so many economic terms that these words seem natural and meaningful. But our time and attention are far more precious than these words imply. Time and attention cannot be replenished. They are our lives themselves. When we give time and attention, we are not simply wasting or spending them. We are dedicating our lives. - From Chapter 5: Focus on the Present and Pay Attention to Those Around You

The two women he met when Bob was a medical student dealt with their situations in completely different ways. Abigail overcame her fear by denying the importance of what she had learned and thus avoided the predicament. She did not involve her loved ones or take any action. (...) Lucia was also afraid, but she used that fear as a stepping stone to face the predicament and take necessary measures to protect her health. She regarded her situation as a problem bigger than herself, one that her family had to face together. (...) Both women were diagnosed with cancer. Abigail did not tell her family or doctor about the lump and ignored it until she started feeling pain. By then, it was too late, and cancer took her life. Lucia detected cancer early and survived after a long treatment process. - From Chapter 6: How to Ride the Waves of Relationships Without Being Swept Away

One of his research participants was a Vietnam War veteran with intense combat experience. However, he refused to participate in the study without his wife by his side. Cohen wanted him to participate so much that he gladly accommodated this, and his wife was allowed to be next to him while he lay in the fMRI (brain scanning) machine. Because the fMRI machine is noisy, the man became agitated when the test started and wanted to stop. His wife, sitting beside him, sensed his agitation and instinctively held his hand. This had a genuine calming effect, and he was able to continue the test. - From Chapter 7: How Do You Get Along with Your Closest People?

Of course, most of the most important discoveries were made after participants had already lived much of their lives. So they did not benefit from our research at the moments when it would have helped them most. That is why we wrote this book. We wanted to share with you what we could not share with them. Many studies on human flourishing (our longitudinal study and dozens of others) clearly show that regardless of age, life stage, marital status, or whether one is introverted or extroverted, ‘anyone can make a positive turn in their life.’ - From Conclusion: It’s Never Too Late to Be Happy

The Longest Happiness Study in the World | Written by Robert Waldinger & Mark Schultz | Translated by Park Sunryeong | Business Books | 508 pages | 19,500 KRW