The Four Pillars of Happiness: A Cardiologist‘s Prescription for Health

According to Valentín Fuster, one of the world’s greatest authorities on cardiovascular medicine, the heart and brain do not function as isolated entities. The director of the National Cardiovascular Research Center (CNIC) and the Mount Sinai Cardiovascular institute states that physical health is inseparable from emotional stability.

At 82 years old, the doctor summarized his experience in a clear premise: “Happy people are healthier.”

However, Fuster clarifies that happiness is not a gift of chance, but rather a behavior that is cultivated and built daily. To achieve this balance, the expert proposes a structure based on four essential pillars, known as the four “As”, which must be built on a foundation of personal maturity, time for reflection and recognition of one’s own talent.

The importance of internal consistency

In its proposal, authenticity plays a crucial role. The cardiologist insists on the need to be the same person in any circumstance,whether morning,afternoon or night.

This consistency avoids the mental strain of wearing social “masks.” Social psychology supports this view: dissonance between who we are and how we present ourselves is a predictor of stress, while authenticity is directly linked to vitality.

fuster illustrates this by remembering that, in extreme situations like a heart attack, hierarchies disappear: a president and a humble man from Harlem “are the same person.”

A different viewpoint on the environment