Lots of detached navel gazing in the article and the many, many responses. The cynic in me keeps saying that only people with full bellies have the luxury to muse on the meaning of “happiness” and what it is to be truly “happy”. It’s a rather subjective state of being, a product of a life of self-examination and with no standard definition. Every individual will view the word differently based upon their own particular circumstances. This should be obvious.
The phrase in the Declaration of Independence, connecting “the pursuit of happiness” with life and liberty as one of three “certain inalienable rights endowed by [the] Creator”, is interpreted by me to mean the freedom for each person to strive and seek for themselves what they want out of life, what they dream and fantasize about. The author is correct that in such a context, it is not the achievement of these goals and dreams, but the opportunity to work and strive towards them, that is the true pursuit of happiness.
People can be happy or unhappy in their jobs, marriages or other relationships, socioeconomic status, or any other personal circumstances, but there clearly is no one size fits all criterion for this highly personal, self-referential state. Each must determine on their own what and where they want to be and put the effort into getting there, whether they succeed or fail. I don’t think it’s any more complicated than that. If one can approach the end of life with the view that despite the pain, tragedy, setbacks, disappointments and yes, failures, it’s been a good life overall; one having been worth living, then they’re there.