What Really Makes People Happy (from a 30-year long study)

I found this article from Business Insider to be quite illustrative about what really matters and what really makes people happy. It reviews a Harvard study that followed 800 people for their entire lives to see what habits and mindsets were held by those who lived longer and happier. And which habits and mindsets did the opposite.

Some of the advise is obvious (especially the first point) and some may conflate correlation and causality (the second point, for example), but overall, I think it's a good list. Here's how Business Insider sums it up:

• Avoid smoking and alcohol: Duh.

• Years of education = good: Education seems to increase good habits (and being surrounded by smart, ambitious people never hurts).

• Have a happy childhood: It's huge. And surrounding yourself later in life with people who love you can help repair a difficult youth.

• Relationships are everything: "Happiness is love. Full stop."

• Mature coping skills: Stop projecting and stop being passive-aggressive. Use mature defenses like humor when life gets hard. (Yes, immature humor is still mature coping. You're welcome.)
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• Generativity: Build a good life, a well-rounded self and then give back.

And if you're trying to stop smoking to check the first item off the list, go here.