Robert Waldinger helps leaders understand what science reveals about living a happy, healthy, and meaningful life. Drawing on more than 85 years of research from the Harvard Study of Adult Development, he demonstrates that the quality of our relationships is the single most important predictor of long-term well-being. His presentations offer practical insights for building stronger teams, healthier cultures, and more fulfilling lives.
Robert Waldinger is one of the world's foremost experts on happiness, well-being, and human flourishing. He is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and a practicing psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and Zen teacher.
For more than a decade, Waldinger has led the Harvard Study of Adult Development, a groundbreaking research project that has followed multiple generations of participants for more than 85 years, making it one of the longest scientific studies of human life ever conducted. Its findings have transformed our understanding of what truly contributes to health, happiness, longevity, and fulfillment.
His research challenges conventional assumptions about success, revealing that the strongest predictor of long-term well-being is not wealth, fame, or achievement, but the quality of our relationships. These insights have influenced leaders, organizations, educators, and policymakers around the world.
Waldinger is co-author of the bestselling book The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, which distills decades of research into practical lessons for living meaningful, connected, and resilient lives. His TED Talk, What Makes a Good Life?, is one of the most viewed TED Talks in history.
