So, it’s the 249th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence:
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.
Being a contemplative person I’ve been thinking about happiness. The book The Pursuit of Happiness goes into great details about what the Founding Fathers meant by it, and what kind of government they were trying to create. And this is what the AI program Perplexity says:
When the Founding Fathers referred to “happiness”—especially in the phrase “the pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence—they did not mean the pursuit of pleasure or fleeting emotional satisfaction, as is often assumed today. Instead, they drew from classical Greek, Roman, and Enlightenment philosophy, which defined happiness as the pursuit and practice of virtue, self-mastery, and character improvement.
Key aspects of what they meant by “happiness” include:
• Virtue over Pleasure: Happiness was seen as being good, not merely feeling good. The Founders believed true happiness resulted from living a virtuous life—practicing qualities such as temperance, prudence, courage, justice, order, and sincerity.
• Self-Mastery and Reason: Achieving happiness required daily self-discipline, self-examination, and the use of reason to moderate passions and emotions. This was a lifelong process of self-improvement and moral development.
• Harmony with Natural Law: The Founders, influenced by thinkers like Blackstone, saw happiness as living in harmony with the “law of nature and of nature’s God.” This meant fulfilling one’s potential and duties as a rational and moral being.
• A Right to Practice Happiness: The “pursuit of happiness” was understood not just as the right to seek happiness, but as the right to practice and experience it through virtuous living. It was considered an unalienable right, meaning everyone was entitled to actually be happy by living well, not just to try to be happy.
• Public and Private Good: The pursuit of happiness was both a private right and a public duty. The Founders believed that a society of virtuous individuals would lead to public happiness and good governance.
I have a lot of Stoic in me — I’ve been interested in personal growth since I was a kid. But I also have an inner puppy that values exuberance and joy. The Stoics liked joy, as long as it was “rational, moderate, and rooted in virtue.” But they thought exuberance was way too emotional and thus bad. Not me. I think emotions are great sources of energy and motivation and we learn a lot by understanding them. No, if anything I look for ways to increase my exuberance and enthusiasm. That’s not always easy considering what’s going on in the world right now, but for me it’s a lot better than getting depressed and shutting down. I figure there is always something positive, even though small, that we can do if we look for it.
Anyway, whatever your definition of happiness, and whether or not you live in the U.S., I hope you have a happy day!
July 4, 2025
Happy 4th of July.
God bless.
Thank you. 🙂
An interesting look into the original meaning of happiness as written in the declaration of independence. I have to agree with your thoughts on it though
Thank you. 🙂
That sure was an interesting looking back at what it meant.
Happy 4th.
I hope you had a great day.
Have a joyous, exuberant, enthusiastic 4th of July! 🙂
Thank you. 🙂
When I read this, I think that when they wrote it to now, the people that wrote it then and the ones in charge now, did not mean what it says, they meant only the ones that deserved freedom, and those were themselves and others like them, and they did not believe all people are created equal then and do not now. they just wanted to be free from the controls from accross the pond. the proof to me is so many years of people’s thinking it meant people like them.
It was a revolutionary idea, and it has inspired millions of people.
This post makes me pause and really think….thanks for sharing and may you and your family enjoy a beautiful 4th…
Thank you. I hope you had a great day. 🙂
Good stuff!
“Self Mastery & Reason” most resonates to me — yet, I can’t discount responsible exuberance. It’s been too long I experienced that emotion. Maybe there’s nothing like the present?
It’s worth trying to cultivate. 🙂
Interesting thoughts on stoics and emotion. And you seem like the perfect combination!! Will you watch any fireworks tonight?
No, they didn’t have them this year.
Happy 4th of July, my friend.
Thank you. I hope you had a great day. 🙂
And now lots for us, your readers, to ponder. Well done.
Thank you. 🙂
Happy Independence Day from all of us!
Thank you. I hope you all had a great day. 🙂
Your post certainly makes one stop and think about what happiness is all about. Thank you.
Happy 4th!!!
Thank you. I hope you had a great day. 🙂
It would have been wonderful to see women included in that declaration if it had been amended.
I do believe men and women define “happiness” quite differently.
Happy 4th, Jean.
XO
WWW
I’ll write a post about what Perplexity and ChatGPT say about that. In a couple of days, probably.