Posted on 09/07/2014 3:02:11 PM PDT by Trillian
Why do two men from very similar socioeconomic and educational backgrounds sometimes take very different life paths?
Is nature or nurture more important in determining a man’s success in his relationships and career?
What physiological and psychological traits present in a man’s younger years predict his chances of living a long, flourishing life?
In 1938, researchers at Harvard’s medical school began a study that aimed to answer these fascinating questions and discover what factors lead to an “optimum” life. The study recruited 268 of the university’s sophomores from the all-male classes of 1939-1944, and set out to examine every aspect of their lives for at least a couple decades. The men selected were healthy in body and mind, and deemed likely to capitalize on their potential and become successful adults. While many of them came from well-off families, some were intelligent students who had been plucked from poor households and given full scholarships.
(Excerpt) Read more at artofmanliness.com ...
This is very revealing. It cannot be emphasized enough how important you dads are.
that was a great article, thanks for posting it.
Revealing:
Mentions of God or religion - ZERO.
If there was ever any doubt, fathers matter, a lot: When all is said and done, a man’s relationship with his father very significantly predicted his overall life satisfaction at age 75 — “a variable not even suggestively associated with the maternal relationship.”
It may have been included in the data, but not in this review; regardless, other studies have often shown that a couple's religious background in common and a healthy relationship with a religious community is a statistically positive benefit to marriage.
That was very interesting. Thanks for posting.
I too am surprised that there was no mention of religion in the study. Or perhaps there was but it was not mentioned in the article.
Wonderful article - I thank you for bringing it to my attention.
The website, The Art of Manliness, has much to offer men today.
The study director, Harvard psychologist George Vaillant, did write books titled "Spiritual Evolution : A scientific defense of faith" and "Spiritual Evolution: How We Are Wired for Faith, Hope, and Love". Religion is often omitted because any mention of it completely turns off city slickers from the subject being discussed.
Wow. Great read.
That is good to know. Sounds like interesting books.
I am surprised (sarcasm) as I didn’t see any references to Government dependency as a major contributor to the general well being or prosperity of an individual.
Great digging, there, Reeses.
It seems inconceivable that a study begun in the 1930s would not include religion. Before 1970, it was a core aspect of American life.
Then the hammer (and sickle) fell. (No surprise that the symbol of communism so resembles the symbol for islam.)
The study is clearly about relationships. Not saying someone’s religon and/or relationship with god isn’t important. For many, it is. The clearest indicator of success in this study was a child’s relationship with his parents, especially his father.
I will concede that a thorough Christian upbring (I assume most of these men were Christian with maybe a few being Jewish based on the time frame of the study) will help a man realize the importance of his fatherly duties. However, I’m sure there were many cold yet devout dads in the study too.
Full disclosure, I was raised in a non-religous household. The only time I was in church was the occasional wedding or funeral. However, I had very loving parents. My dad was thoroughly involved in my life in every respect-coaching my sports teams, encouraging my talents, lots of vacations, advice, etc. Same with my mom. I have close relationships with my siblings and their children. Frequent fun family gatherings, etc. No religous input of any kind. I’m not knocking religon, just saying you can thrive without it too.
The cycle continues for my siblings and myself. Successful careers, marriages, lots of children. Not rocket science, but a loving family is key. Glad to see that verified by 70+ years of data.
Sorry I’m a day late bumping.
After reading the article, especially the section on marriage, I couldn’t help but wonder about the current trend by young men (& women) to delay marriage well into their mid-30’s and beginning childbearing even until nearly or already 40. Obviously there are fertility issues at stake. But what about their psyches? What about their ability to form the kind of intimacy enjoyed by their grandparents? And these problems can only be compounded by prior experiences with serial monogamy or promiscuity.
FYI: The book on the study is available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674059824/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0674059824&linkCode=as2&tag=stucosuccess-20&linkId=JSYSUTOG6XPOPEHJ
Also, I was able to find it in my local library.
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