"The Ultimate Happiness Your Heart Desires"
“You have formed us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You”
— St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions," 1,1.51
Every one of us is searching for happiness, which is generally understood as the fulfillment of one's desires. Accepting this definition means that happiness is an individual, subjective experience. Therefore, we are each responsible to determine our most important desires, such as what we yearn for, what desires drive us, and what we seek to satisfy us. We may chase happiness in different ways, but the longing implanted in our hearts is, whether we know it or not, ultimately the same: we want a life that feels meaningful, fulfilling, peaceful, joyful, and whole.
Loving God,
1 Quotation revised to use contemporary language.
Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ, offers a simple and deeply insightful framework called the "Four Levels of Happiness"— a way of understanding what truly satisfies the human heart and is enduring, and what provides only temporary happiness that still leaves us restless.2 These levels are briefly summarized as follows:
At the most basic level, happiness comes from physical enjoyment—eating good food, relaxing, indulging in entertainment, or engaging in other physical or sensual experiences. Although these moments bring temporary joy, they don’t lead to lasting fulfillment. For example, you desire to eat a vanilla ice cream cone. It gives you pleasure while you are eating it, after which the pleasure begins to evaporate once the ice cream is gone. To transcend this level, you need to recognize that any happiness realized from such pleasure is fleeting and so you choose to balance your enjoyment with deeper pursuits that prevent overreliance on material satisfaction for happiness.
The second level of happiness is attained through achievement, such as experiencing personal success in securing a promotion; through recognition by winning a competition against others or receiving an award; or achieving goals or feeling competent by completing a challenging project, learning a new skill, or reaching a personal milestone. While these accomplishments may foster pride, they can also lead to frustration when your self-worth depends on comparison or competition with others, or some other external validation. Our self-worth and identity can then become tied to an endless need to produce or achieve more rather than from recognizing our inherent dignity of who we already are—persons created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Achievement alone doesn’t provide lasting meaning. To transcend this level requires you to shift your focus from self–centered achievements to more fulfilling interactions with others.
The third level of happiness that is more enduring and fulfilling is attained when people dedicate themselves to serving others, fostering genuine connections, and contributing to society. Some examples include volunteering at a charity or mentoring someone in need, strengthening relationships with family and friends, offering kindness and support without expecting anything in return. To transcend this level recognizes that while relationships and service are fulfilling and more enduring, true happiness comes when you are guided by a higher sense of purpose—one that is grounded in ultimate truth and meaning.
The deepest and ultimate level of happiness, the one our soul aches for, whether we know it or not, is that which is unlimited and eternal—our communion with God. This level is rooted in transcedental values such as truth, goodness, beauty, and love that never fade. It’s the happiness that comes from knowing we are held, known, unconditionally loved, and cherished by the One who created us. It’s the joy that remains even when life is messy or uncertain. It’s the peace that we experience when we surrender our lives to God’s grace, allow God to shape our desires and our lives, and long for God's "will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).
Fr. Spitzer’s insight reminds us that the first two levels of happiness aren’t necessarily bad in and of themselves—they’re just not enough or could lead to self-centeredness. They’re stepping stones meant to lead us toward a fuller, richer, more enduring level of happiness attained through contribution, making a difference, and helping others. Ultimately, when we finally surrender to and place our hope and trust in our unconditionally loving God, and in doing God's will, everything else finds its proper place. We begin to live with greater freedom, deeper compassion, and a clearer sense of meaning and purpose.
You are invited to reflect today about which level of happiness tends to guide your choices right now, and how is it shaping your peace or restlessness? What is one concrete way you can open yourself more fully to God’s presence this week?
you created my heart for a happiness that only you can fulfill.
Teach me to seek what lasts, to love generously,
and to root my life in your truth.
Free me from the fears and distractions that keep me from you,
and guide me toward the joy that comes from living in your presence.
Amen.
2 This article was prepared, in part, from information obtained from Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D., "The 4 Levels of Happiness", and from information generated through CoPilot, January 29, 2026, in response to specific inquiries, as modified. Fr. Spitzer has also written two books regarding this particular subject, Finding True Happiness: Satisfying Our Restless Hearts (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2015) and The Four Levels of Happiness: Your Path to Pesonal Flourishing (Manchester, NH:Sophia Institute Press, 2024).