In the video below, Father Spitzer discusses level 3 happiness, which is, in essence, living for others. We all desire happiness. We want our lives to have some significance in the world. In many regards, this desire for happiness almost seems innate. We are not content if our lives don’t do anything for anybody beyond ourselves.
Level 3 happiness lies in the desire to make a positive difference to something or someone beyond ourselves. This happiness can manifest through living for others in our family and making contributions to our communities, church, workplace, or even strangers. The more we live for others, acting from either self-sacrifice or even altruism, there is fulfillment to be found.
Unlike level 3 happiness, which focuses on living for others, level 1 happiness pertains to things in life that give us short bouts of pleasure. Level 1 happiness can be found when we feel something good and then say we feel “happy.” When we eat a fantastic meal or go on a fun trip, these things produce a temporary feeling of happiness. Level 1 happiness cannot be found by living through others because it only lasts as long as the object of our happiness is producing an effect.
Level 2 happiness is also not found by living through others. Instead, it is found in a relative sense. This means that when we have more than another person, we may say that we feel a sense of “happiness” or short fulfillment because the thing we have more of is pleasurable. Level 2 happiness could be found when a person who was competing with a coworker for a raise comes out triumphant. In essence, Level 2 happiness is the antithesis of living through others.
Father Spitzer also discusses Victor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, and how, in the German concentration camps of World War II, he found meaning despite immense suffering by living for others.
Victor Frankl found that while some prisoners were living through level 2 happiness and despairing at their suffering and misfortune, the prisoners who were living for others obtained level 3 happiness, many of whom eventually were liberated.
By living for others, the level 3 prisoners were able to find profound leadership and meaning despite their inordinate suffering, showing that making contributions to the world can tackle even the darkest of situations.