On the path to happiness, many young people—even when they feel they are doing everything right—experience a deep inner emptiness. Arthur Brooks, a professor of positive psychology at Harvard University, warns that happiness today is often confused with simply feeling good.
In a keynote address at Benedictine College, the Catholic professor proposed a clear framework for diagnosing our lives and creating a roadmap to true happiness.
Let’s explore the three fundamental “macronutrients” and four essential “investments” that help form that diagnosis and guide us toward lasting happiness.
1) The “macronutrients” of happiness.a) Enjoyment
This is different from mere pleasure. The goal is not to reject pleasure, but today it is often reduced to an egocentric pursuit of feeling good at any cost. Enjoyment, on the other hand, involves meaningful experiences—often shared with others—and goes far beyond something quick, fleeting, or superficial.
b) Satisfaction
Satisfaction comes when we feel fulfilled after striving to overcome difficulties. It is not easy and always requires effort. Yet we live in a culture of minimal effort, where everything is available at the push of a button.
c) Meaning
This is a crucial point. Many young people are constantly absorbed in screens, lacking the interior silence needed to ask life’s most important questions: Why
