{"id":6471,"date":"2017-08-20T18:20:35","date_gmt":"2017-08-20T23:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/satodayscatholic.org\/?p=6471"},"modified":"2017-08-20T18:21:52","modified_gmt":"2017-08-20T23:21:52","slug":"what-do-we-need-to-be-truly-happy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/satodayscatholic.org\/what-do-we-need-to-be-truly-happy\/","title":{"rendered":"What do we need to be truly happy?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By Chris Gilbert *<\/a><\/p>\n

Who among us does not long for lasting happiness?\u00a0 This universal desire is ever present, yet so many today are not happy.\u00a0 Fr. Robert Spitzer\u2019s brilliant exploration of true happiness is an incredible gift for anyone looking for something more satisfying than the next short-lived physical stimulation.\u00a0 With his book, \u201cFinding True Happiness: Satisfying Our Restless Hearts\u201d, Fr. Spitzer takes a refreshingly comprehensive approach to the human person as a physical and spiritual being with a mind, will, and emotions.\u00a0 He does not limit his focus where one might expect a priest to do so: merely seeking spiritual solutions to the problem of unhappiness.\u00a0 Spitzer\u2019s dual approach to faith and reason as both a scientist and a faithful priest produces a robust analysis of the human person.<\/p>\n

The author draws on the expertise of psychologists, philosophers, and scientists to illuminate the natural world and the human experience.\u00a0 These all point to something outside and beyond ourselves.\u00a0 But is such a conclusion – finding fulfillment in the divine – just wishful thinking, as Freud understood it?\u00a0 Spitzer appeals to the most brilliant astrophysicists, mathematicians and logicians of our age, who insist we are transphysical, or spiritual beings.\u00a0 Only God can account for the life\u2019s greatest question, say the greatest minds to ever live.<\/p>\n

As it turns out, obtaining happiness takes some serious reflection about our lives and the choices we make.\u00a0 Even our unconscious attitudes play an influential role in our level of happiness, yet we often remain unaware of their existence, let alone impact.\u00a0 The author reveals four levels of happiness, each with its proper place and role.\u00a0 Most basically, we seek external, material pleasure.\u00a0 Our brains and sensory faculties detect biological opportunities and dangers and so, thankfully, we naturally seek breakfast and clothing.\u00a0 Secondly, we have a self-consciousness which leads us to seek status, intelligence, power, and social opportunities.\u00a0 Third, we have a capacity for self-consciousness and empathy which fills us with the desire to contribute to our communities and the world.\u00a0 Finally, we were created with a transcendental awareness and desire for the sacred and the spiritual.\u00a0 The person who lives solely for the first or second kind of happiness, to the neglect of the third or fourth, will only experience brief moments of happiness, but not the lasting kind we were made for.<\/p>\n

Spitzer then invites the reader to examine what it means to be human while unveiling the fruits of full capacity living and the struggles of a sub-par life.\u00a0 The strength of his approach rests on common human experiences – frustrations and failures that plague us, as well as achievements and celebrations we strive for.\u00a0 He keeps his feet on the ground with eminently practical examples while empowering his readers to extend their current situation.\u00a0 He guides the reader through the process of changing one\u2019s fundamental attitudes by examining purpose in life, views of others and one-self, and views of freedom.\u00a0 Thus, he makes \u201cescaping your personal hell\u201d a concrete reality.<\/p>\n

After laying a practical and accessible foundation, the book proceeds to an exploration of the deepest level of happiness.\u00a0 Spitzer crowns his social, psychological, and philosophical analysis with beauty, the Church, and a relationship with God focused on Jesus Christ.\u00a0 With faith, we discover worship, learning, and service as vehicles of grace buoyed up by prayer and ongoing conversion.\u00a0 These realities are richly explored as the ultimate means to true happiness.<\/p>\n

Those who engage this volume will be happy to learn it is only the first of four. Fr. Spitzer\u2019s brilliance shines through his insights, relatable anecdotes, and profound conclusion. Readers will discover that the build-up of the initial pages creates the tension of a sling-shot: a little effort results in a spectacular and unforeseen flight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Chris Gilbert received his M.A. from Franciscan University of Steubenville in Theology with a specialization in catechetics.\u00a0 He worked in youth and young adult ministry for seven years. Now, he and his wife own their own business from home and are blessed by their three children.\u00a0 Chris also loves books because, for most of his life, he refused to read<\/em><\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

* Catholic News Agency columns are opinion and do not necessarily express the perspective of the agency.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Chris Gilbert * Who among us does not long for lasting happiness?\u00a0 This universal desire is ever present, yet so many today are not happy.\u00a0 Fr. Robert Spitzer\u2019s brilliant exploration of true happiness is an incredible gift for anyone looking for something more satisfying than the next short-lived physical stimulation.\u00a0 With his book, \u201cFinding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153],"tags":[298,297,289,190,290,300],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat do we need to be truly happy? -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"#iamTodaysCatholic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/satodayscatholic.org\/what-do-we-need-to-be-truly-happy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What do we need to be truly happy? 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