Relationship Riches: Invest in Longevity and Happiness

"Relationship Riches" refers to the value and wealth derived from strong, meaningful connections with others, whether personal or professional. This concept emphasizes the importance of nurturing relationships as a truest form of riches, measured not by accumulated wealth, but by the positive impact and contributions made to others.

Harvard’s 85-Year Study Reveals Relationship Riches as the Core of a Good Life

For more than 85 years, Harvard researchers have studied what makes people truly happy. The conclusion? Strong relationships are the most consistent and powerful factor in both long-term happiness and good health. According to the Harvard Study of Adult Development—widely considered the longest-running study of its kind—people with strong, supportive relationships live longer, stay healthier, and are more fulfilled overall.

The study, which began in 1938 and originally included both university students and working-class boys from Boston (including future President John F. Kennedy), has shown that quality relationships matter more than social class, genetics, or even career success.

Focus on Contribution: It’s about what you contribute to others, the lives you touch, and the goodwill generated, not solely about personal gain or material wealth.
Quality of Connections: The emphasis is on nurturing the quality of relationships you build, fostering trust, influence, and opportunities.
Beyond Material Possessions: While money can provide resources, Relationship Riches offer valuable things that money can’t buy, like emotional support, shared wisdom, and personal growth.
Lasting Impact: Investing in genuine relationships creates a ripple effect of value and leaves a more lasting and meaningful impact than material possessions.
Give and Take: Healthy relationships involve a balanced exchange of time, care, understanding, and support, benefiting everyone involved.

Happiness, Health, and Human Connection

Dr. Robert Waldinger, the study’s current director and author of The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, put it simply:

Relationship Riches: “The people who were happiest, who stayed healthiest as they grew old, and who lived the longest were the people who had the warmest connections with other people.”

Waldinger and his team were initially skeptical about how strong the connection could be between relationships and physical health—but the data was clear. Those with closer connections were less likely to develop chronic conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or arthritis.

Social Fitness Is Just as Important as Physical Fitness

Relationship Riches is how you invest in social fitness. This idea of “social fitness,” as Waldinger describes it, is now seen as just as essential as physical health. One key finding from the study: the hardest part of retirement for many people wasn’t leaving the job—it was losing the relationships that came with it. That’s why researchers encourage people to invest in their workplace relationships long before they leave the workforce.

Global Findings Echo Benefits of Relationship Riches

Research from the World Economic Forum and Mercer confirms that maintaining health in later life is a top concern around the world. In their report Living Longer, Better: Understanding Longevity Literacy, most people reported that health—not wealth—was their primary concern as lifespans increase. Having enough money came next, followed closely by the desire to enjoy life.

The report outlines how we’re moving into a multistage life model, where work, leisure, volunteering, and personal fulfillment all interweave across the decades. But while strategies and planning are essential, the Harvard research offers a timeless insight: the true foundation of a fulfilling life is built on strong relationships.

The Ripple Effect of Connection

Relationship Riches Ripple Effect: As Shyam Bishen, head of the Centre for Health and Healthcare at the World Economic Forum, explains:

“Strong social connections can provide emotional support, reduce stress, and increase feelings of happiness and belonging, which in turn may have beneficial effects on physical health and promote a longer and healthier life.”

"The Real Currency Is Relationship Riches"

Since 2010, "The Real Currency Is Relationship Riches" has been the motto of author Sherrie Rose. The phrase Relationship Riches has appeared in her books, in the work of other authors, blog posts, podcasts, social media, and a wide range of sources of meaningful relationship riches".

Relationship Riches is not to be confused with 'rich relationships', a phrase that plays on the original. Relationship Riches is not about making money or chasing wealth, although financial benefits may result. The deeper meaning of Relationship Riches lies in the value of human connection. Relationship Riches focuses on the real value found in meaningful human connection. It’s a reminder that happiness and health are built not on status or accumulation, but on who we share our lives with.