Happiness isn't found in some finite checklist of goals that we can diligently complete and then coast. It's how we live our lives in the process. That's why the four pillars of happiness are faith, family, community and meaningful work. Those are priorities we have to keep investing in.

Arthur C. Brooks

Yes, free markets tend to produce unequal incomes. We should not be ashamed of that. On the contrary, our system is the envy of the world and should be a source of pride.

Arthur C. Brooks

income envy pride

There is nothing inherently fair about equalizing incomes. If the government penalizes you for working harder than somebody else, that is unfair. If you save your money but retire with the same pension as a free-spending neighbor, that is also unfair.

Arthur C. Brooks

income neighbor government

If you think spreading money around by force seems like an odd definition of fairness, you're not alone.

Arthur C. Brooks

fairness definitions thinking

The key to happiness is not being rich; it's doing something arduous and creating something of value and then being able to reflect on the fruits of your labor.

Arthur C. Brooks

creating able keys

Conservatives are better talking about opportunity and growth in the abstract, while liberals talk more about poor people. Right now we [americans] need a good, optimistic, conservative opportunity ideology that is totally geared toward lifting up the poor. That's what I most want to see in candidates.

Arthur C. Brooks

optimistic opportunity talking

The system that enables the most people to earn the most success is free enterprise, by matching up people's skills, interests, and abilities. In contrast, redistribution simply spreads money around. Even worse, it attenuates the ability to earn success by perverting economic incentives.

Arthur C. Brooks

incentives skills people

There's a general intuition around the nonprofit world these days that younger generations are less likely to join. But I have found in my research that that's quite wrong.

Arthur C. Brooks

nonprofits intuition generations

We will have bigger bureaucracies, bigger labor unions, and bigger state-run corporations. It will be harder to be an entrepreneur because of punitive taxes and regulations. The rewards of success will be expropriated for the sake of attaining greater income equality.

Arthur C. Brooks

equality entrepreneur running

As a political independent, I would gladly vote for any political party dedicated to limited government and entrepreneurship.

Arthur C. Brooks

independent party government

Free enterprise is essentially a formula not just for wealth creation, but for life satisfaction.

Arthur C. Brooks

wealth-creation enterprise satisfaction

The truth is that relative income is not directly related to happiness. Nonpartisan social-survey data clearly show that the big driver of happiness is earned success: a person's belief that he has created value in his life or the life of others.

Arthur C. Brooks

income data belief

The battle is on, and nothing less than the soul of America is at stake.

Arthur C. Brooks

battle soul america

The more control you have over your life, the more responsible you feel for your own success - or failure.

Arthur C. Brooks

responsible over-you feels

Whether we look at capitalism, taxes, business, or government, the data show a clear and consistent pattern: 70 percent of Americans support the free enterprise system and are unsupportive of big government.

Arthur C. Brooks

data support government

In my book I don't just demonstrate that free enterprise is the most efficient way of organizing an economy - which it is. I also show that it's an expression of American values, and, thus, that a fight for free enterprise is very much a fight for our culture.

Arthur C. Brooks

fight culture book way

FDR created today's 30 percent coalition. Obama wants to finish the job by turning it into a permanent ruling majority. There's nothing new about the Obama Narrative. It is the FDR Narrative on steroids. It is intended to lead to greater statism and political gain.

Arthur C. Brooks

new job political today