Dr. Tyler VanderWeele – Executive Networks

The Power of Forgiveness 4.3.23

Michael Wu — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 13:19:36 +0000

We have all been hurt by others. Sometimes those wounds last for a long time.

It can be difficult to know how to deal with such hurts, or with those who have inflicted them. One approach is to bury and suppress the wounds, but often they then remain with us and re-emerge. Another approach is to let the wounds fester, to ruminate upon them and upon anger, and possibly seek revenge. Sometimes that revenge may help pacify one’s outrage; at other times it may not. An alternative approach to dealing with the hurts we all experience is forgiveness..

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“For Better, for Worse”: Marriage and Flourishing 2.21.23

Michael Wu — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:48:02 +0000

Marriage is, and remains, one of the most enduring social institutions and a central foundation of family life. Numerous prior studies have suggested that marriage itself supports both the flourishing of spouses and children.. Click here to read the full article.

Why Caring and Character Matter 12.21.22

Michael Wu — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 13:55:08 +0000

As the holidays approach, many are preparing to spend more time with friends, family, and loved ones. A feeling of generosity and kindness often permeates the holiday season, along with a sense of hope and expectation for the new year. Through this, we can come to care for one another more deeply; and this sense of caring, of generosity, of kindness, is arguably a much-needed balm for our society in the midst of conflicts and tensions, both at home and abroad.. Click here to read the full article.

Lighting the Darkness of Suffering A New U.N. World Day for Prevention and Healing. 11.16.22

Michael Wu — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:01:11 +0000

The promotion of flourishing requires not only active efforts to improve happiness, meaning, character, and other aspects of well-being but also healing from past hurts.. Click here to read the full article.

Understanding Multidimensional Well-Being 9.22.22

Michael Wu — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 16:41:16 +0000

At the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard, we have been assessing how well people are doing and why, both in the United States and globally. To try to understand the factors that shape flourishing, we are launching our Global Flourishing Study, which collects longitudinal data on the same group of individuals over time. However, such longitudinal panel data isn’t as important if one is simply trying to describe, rather than explain. Click here to read the full article.

Understanding Multidimensional Well-Being. 9.22.22

Michael Wu — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 13:15:47 +0000

Why Young People’s Mental Well-Being Is in Such Decline 8.25.22

Michael Wu — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 16:22:34 +0000

At the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard, we have been advocating more systematic measurement of well-being to better assess what is going well and what isn’t, how things are changing over time, who needs help, and in what ways. Click here to read the full article.

How Can We Learn About Human Flourishing from Research? 4.27.22

Michael Wu — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 13:22:25 +0000

This post from the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard on methodology for flourishing is a bit more technical than others. Nonetheless, it seemed worthwhile to share a concise, synthetic account of our thinking to date about the best practices for investigating the constituents and causes of human flourishing. Employing the most rigorous methods not only enriches our understanding of flourishing, but is also crucial in ensuring the success of efforts to promote flourishing.

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How to Flourish During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Research from the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard 3.24.20

Michael Wu — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 16:24:27 +0000

Our confrontation with suffering and death provides an important opportunity for reflection. What is it that we value most? What relationships need forgiveness or reconciliation? How should we understand our lives and our own mortality? Both empirical data and religious traditions show that, by engaging in such interior reflection, it can be possible to grow and flourish even amidst great suffering. Click here to read the full article.