We hold these truths to be self–evident, That all men are created equal, That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
How many of us, I wonder, learned those memorable words by heart when we were in grade school? I know I did. First read to his fellow citizens on the 4th of July 244 years ago, Thomas Jefferson’s text is among the most hallowed of this country’s foundational documents. While all of these words are profound and beautiful, it’s the last four–“the pursuit of happiness”–that seem to hold a particular fascination for us as a people. Yet what does it mean, that most remarkable of catchphrases “the pursuit of happiness”?
In contemplating the meaning and significance of the phrase “the pursuit of happiness,” we must first consider what the word “happiness” signified for Jefferson and others of his time. For one thing, we know that that he adapted the phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” from a widely quoted observation of the great English political philosopher John Locke, for whom “life, liberty, and property” were natural rights. While Jefferson didn’t actually coin the phrase “the pursuit of happiness” – his fellow Virginian, George Mason, had used the phrase in his draft of the Virginia Constitution a few weeks earlier — it was Jefferson who chose to substitute the word “happiness” for Locke’s “property” in this most important of documents.
That said, what did Jefferson intend by citing happiness in the Declaration? For starters, Jefferson was not speaking about happiness as either an entirely private pursuit or one focused on the accumulation of wealth or the seeking of personal pleasure. Like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, Jefferson connected “happiness” with what these ancient philosophers called aretê, the Greek word for “virtue” or “excellence.” Aretê, in turn, was linked to such civic qualities as courage, moderation, character, and justice. “The happy man,” wrote Aristotle, “lives well as he does well.” Most of all, these philosophers connected happiness to both the personal and public pursuit of the Good.
Jefferson’s conscious downplaying of the importance of material acquisition and his emphasis on aretê as the source of happiness has much to teach us today. Sadly, however, for many Americans, Jefferson might just as well have left the word “property” in place. For many of us, happiness does mean the acquisition of wealth and status. So while we give lip service to the idea that money can’t buy happiness, as a nation we act as if it does, which has not made us noticeably happier.
Which brings me ask the what feels like the ultimate question: If the seeking of material riches or hedonistic pleasure won’t result in a real, enduring, and sustainable form of happiness, what will? Fortunately, both philosophy and spiritual teachings have a great deal to say on this subject. The consensus of these ancient wisdom traditions teach us that happiness — real happiness — is attainable. Paradoxically, however, it is not attainable as a goal we can pursue in itself. Rather such happiness is the outcome of a whole range of spiritual concerns and practices: mindfulness, gratitude, forgiveness, compassion, being of service, living authentically, fighting for justice, opening ourselves to experiences of wonder and awe, and, perhaps most of all, lovingly nurturing the relationships in our lives.
The problem, of course, is that all of these practices take both discipline and effort. While we Americans maintain an optimistic, if sometimes naive, belief in the possibility of happiness, we also seem to lack the patience and willingness to do the necessary work required to cultivate it. The happiness of which Jefferson, Aristotle, and spiritual tradition speak is neither easy, uncomplicated, or instant. It also isn’t focused solely on the individual, but also requires taking into account the happiness of others. It looks inward to the voices of conscience and inner wisdom rather than outward to the accumulation of more possessions or the search for more sophisticated distractions from what really matters in both our own lives and the life we share together.
Perhaps most paradoxically, the kind of happiness that’s grounded in philosophical and spiritual wisdom does not seek to exclude sadness or sorrow or any of life’s other challenging emotions. Indeed, real happiness actually embraces the darker aspects of the human experience with both serenity and equanimity. Whenever I think of this particular paradox concerning happiness, I remember all the serene and smiling images of the Buddha, whose First Noble Truth is the inevitability of pain. This is why, despite life’s unavoidable quotient of sorrow, the Dalai Lama insists that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness.
Before closing today, I’d like to reflect on the particular significance of “the pursuit of happiness” in the context of the challenges we presently face as a nation, both in terms of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the structural racism currently being protested around the United States
Regarding the pandemic, even though over 130,000 Americans have already died and rates of infection reach new highs almost daily, an astounding number of people still are not wearing masks and social distancing, two of the most powerful actions we can take to slow down the spread of this highly dangerous disease. For some, the pleasure of drinking with friends at a bar or frolicking at the beach take precedence over the health and even the lives of their fellow citizens. For others, the whole idea of the government asking them to follow these simple safety guidelines – guidelines which would save lives — amounts to a wholesale infringement of their right to pursue happiness
In addition to the police brutality routinely inflicted on Black people, another key contributor to the Black Live Matter movement – and to the ongoing nationwide protests against racism – is described by the hashtag #LivingWhileBlack. The list of everyday activities for which Black people have been harassed is mind-numbing: from swimming in a public pool to barbequing in a park, from napping in a college common room to sitting peacefully at a Starbuck’s, from jogging in their own neighborhood to birdwatching in New York’s Central Park. Given this appalling litany, it’s clear Black Americans aren’t free to pursue their happiness without appearing dangerously suspicious to both white people and the police.
So as we observe yet another anniversary of the Declaration of Independence – considered by many to mark the “birthday” of our nation – it’s clear that the promise of Jefferson’s soaring words remains, in large part, unfulfilled. Partly they remain unfulfilled because we have yet to understand that happiness is not something we attain purely on our own and only for ourselves. Partly they remain unfulfilled because respect for the sanctity of life and a guarantee of the blessings of liberty – both foundational to the pursuing of happiness – are not the unalienable rights of all Americans.
As we look ahead through the massive uncertainties and challenges that lie between us and our next birthday as a people, may we find the will, the courage, the determination, and the commitment to strive toward the fulfillment of the dream Jefferson evoked nearly two and half centuries ago: that each and every one of us be blessed with the opportunity to pursue happiness as we see fit to do so.