Did I actually just write this sentence?

Happiness does not consist in the soul reflecting on itself: first, because the inherently imperfect soul, which desires its own perfection, does not improve by contemplating imperfection; second, because as happiness is the highest perfection of man, the soul, which is aware that things exist higher than its self, cannot rest except in the highest good, which is God.

I just wrote a sentece that has 59 words, (312 characters,) in it. This is what happens when you try to condense St. Thomas Aquinas. It's all the dependent clauses.

UPDATE:

Perfect happiness cannot consist in Man’s spirit being borne towards God by his creations; first, because knowledge of God through his creation consists in the mind’s movement from one stage to another, and not in a final end; secondly, because perfect happiness consists in a perfect adherence of the human mind with perfection, but all created things are imperfect; third, according to right order, lesser things are know by greater, therefore God, who is the supreme good, cannot be more known by means of lesser goods.

This one has 86 words. Painful!!!