Robert Waldinger

Big Think Home

Robert Waldinger

Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

An older man smiling in front of a white background.

Robert Waldinger, MD is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a practicing psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and a Zen teacher and practitioner.

For the last two decades, Waldinger has been the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This study, conducted over more than 85 years, has analyzed the entire lives of 724 families to determine the activities, behaviors, and dynamics that enhance a person’s life-long well-being. Waldinger has dedicated his career to examining these elements and discovering what brings true fulfillment to human existence.

He is the author of several books, including his most recent, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.

Everything Videos Articles
A person stands alone on calm water with the word "STILLNESS" in bold letters over the scene.
21mins
Members
The Big Think Interview
How accepting impermanence can end the struggle to “fix” your life
“The idea is that we move from a place of wanting the world to conform to what we like [towards] not needing other people to be different from who they are.”
Robert Waldinger
A person with long blonde hair wearing a beanie and plaid jacket looks upward outdoors; a transparent geometric square overlay is centered on the image.
2mins
Perception Box
3 experts explain how to escape the happiness paradox
Happiness researchers Robert Waldinger MD, Tal Ben-Shahar PhD, and Peter Baumann explain why the happiest people aren’t happy all the time.
Robert Waldinger
Unlikely Collaborators
1hr 1mins
Full Interview
What 85 years of research says is the real key to happiness
“We can make ourselves more likely to be happy by building a life that includes the conditions that make for happiness.”
Robert Waldinger
Digital illustration of a human brain, displaying vibrant colors transitioning from green to blue and pink, set against a gradient and black background.
25mins
The Big Think Interview
Reboot your mind for flow, unanxiousness, and resilience
“We can use neuroscience and tools from psychology to learn how to take advantage of anxiety.” From Zen Buddhism to flow state, these 3 experts explain how to hack your brain.
Steven Kotler
A person sitting on a bench silhouetted against a colorful sunset sky.
23mins
The Big Think Interview
Loneliness: The silent killer, and how to beat it
Feeling lonely? So is everybody else. Here’s how to change that, according to three experts.
Michael Slepian
BetterHelp
A melting yellow smiley face on a black background.
15mins
The Big Think Interview
Happiness poison—and the antidote
Harvard has conducted an 85-year-long study on what makes humans happy. Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger explains what they found.
Robert Waldinger
BetterHelp
A white lotus flower on a black background.
5mins
Devil’s Advocate
The most important idea in Zen Buddhism for today’s world
Enlightenment: After the ecstasy, the laundry. Why enlightenment is never an end in itself.
Robert Waldinger
A man sitting on a bench in the dark.
5mins
Great Question
How loneliness is killing us, according to a Harvard professor
60% of people feel disconnected. Harvard professor Robert Waldinger addresses the science behind humanity’s loneliness epidemic and suggests ways to solve it.
Robert Waldinger
Zen buddhism 101 by zen buddhism 101.
8mins
Explain It Like I’m Smart
A Zen master’s guide to crushing pain & unlocking peace
Eastern religion meets Western psychology: meet the Harvard professor who’s also a Zen priest as he explains how to relieve suffering using both faith and neuroscience.
Robert Waldinger
Health
What decades of research tells us about living the good life
Warm relationships protect your mind and body from the slings and arrows of life.
Robert Waldinger
Learn from the world's biggest thinkers.
© Copyright 2007-2026 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved.