Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social clas

Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes. If you have good relationships, you have people taking care of you in important ways probably every single day, whether you interact with them that day or not. Over time, this adds up. If you don't have that, the cost may be invisible but will inevitably add up over time.