Is love essential for happiness?

Love is indeed essential for happiness according to experts like Dr. Arthur C. Brooks. He emphasizes that the biggest predictor of happiness and well-being is love, based on long-term studies such as the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which followed individuals over several decades 1. Cultivating and fostering meaningful relationships—whether romantic, familial, or friendships—is crucial to achieving a fulfilling life.

Additionally, Dr. Brooks describes love as the "nuclear fuel rods of happiness" and highlights that strong, real relationships are common among genuinely happy individuals. He also notes that the opposite of love is fear, and developing more loving relationships can help neutralize fears in one's life 2. Thus, love is not just beneficial but fundamental to achieving happiness.