What three things make people happier: Inside from a Harvard professor

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Sociologist Arthur Brooks, who teaches a course on happiness at Harvard University, has spent decades searching for answers to what it means to be happy, and has come to some concrete conclusions, writes CNBC Make It’s.

In a recent book, Brooks emphasized that happiness is not a destination, but a direction you should strive for.

“When I meet someone, I can pretty quickly figure out where they are “diet” that lacks the macronutrients of happiness,” he noted.

Here are the “proteins, carbohydrates, and fats of happiness” that Brooks identified:

Enjoyment. According to Brooks, people often assume that enjoyment is simply pleasure. But that's not entirely correct, he believes. He believes that the constant pursuit of exclusively pleasant experiences “is a terrible way to live life.”

Enjoyment is the joy and reward you get after fighting for something, Brooks noted.

Purpose. As Brooks put it, “purpose is the feeling that your life has meaning.” Of all the three “macronutrients” of happiness, he says, you need a sense of purpose the most.