The Macronutrients of Christian Happiness
Beatitudes and Neuroscience
St. Philip Neri is a great example of a happy saint. His heart was joyous as he served the young men of Rome who otherwise would have been getting themselves into trouble. It is famously told that when he died, his heart was so enlarged that it broke two ribs. Beyond perhaps some medical condition, we can consider it symbolic of the great love that characterized him. For him, to be Christian was his greatest joy. Does being Christian make you happy?
Harvard Business School professor Arthur Brooks styles himself a happiness expert. He writes a weekly article in the Atlantic, always about happiness, and has published numerous books on the topic. Perhaps one the most helpful images he uses is talking about three macronutrients for happiness, similar to the proteins, carbs, and fats in a balanced diet. What are the macronutrients of happiness? He identifies them as enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning. Let’s look at the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:1-12) through this lens, beginning with enjoyment.
What do the Beatitudes have to do with enjoyment? Jesus declares the poor in spirit blessed. The word for blessed, “makarios”, could also be rendered “happy.” What about being poor in spirit makes you enjoy life more? I think about some experiences of vacation, especially when I was in Rome. Sometimes, we had the simplest things, but we had a tremendous amount of fun. When we are unconcerned with acquiring the latest and newest gadget, we are able to enjoy life as it is. This poverty of spirit allows us to enjoy God’s creation, without search for super stimuli to engage our nervous system.
What do the Beatitudes have to do with satisfaction? Jesus blesses the meek. These are the men and women who are unconcerned with their own rank and status in the world. The meek are not weak or passive. They are simply free from the exhausting need to prove themselves. So much discontent in life comes from seeking to appear as more than what we are. When we are content with ourselves, a deep joy is able to well up within us. This is how being meek contributes to our sense of satisfaction with our lives.
What do the Beatitudes have to do with meaning? Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. When we make it our mission to establish peace and righteousness, our lives begin to have a deeper meaning. We are not merely surviving or trying to make it to the next week. Rather, we begin to thrive because what we are doing helps us to derive a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives.
Finally, one of the keys that Arthur Brooks mentions is that it is not just about creating the conditions for happiness. We also have to manage our unhappiness. The tail end of the Beatitudes seems suited to this end. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. It is so easy for us to be carried away by negative feelings when things do not go our way. Jesus invites us to look at it in differently. He invites us to lift our heads and look to the heights.
We can increase our happiness by living according to the advice of the Beatitudes that Jesus shares in the Sermon on the Mount. We learn from him, too, how to manage our unhappiness. We can look to Jesus and see how he lived this out in his own life. Rather than being centered on himself and feeling sorry for himself in times of suffering, he referred everything to his mission of glorifying the Father and saving mankind. We see this when he faces Pilate, when he suffers on the Cross, and in forgiving his enemies.
The Beatitudes do not promise an easy life, but they do promise a happy one. Not the happiness of comfort or success, but the happiness that comes from living in truth with God. St. Philip Neri’s joy did not come from possessions or praise, but from a heart expanded by love. When we allow the Beatitudes to shape our lives, our hearts are enlarged as well – as we discover that to be Christian is not a burden, but our greatest joy.