APAD: Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness

Meaning: The three most important rights as defined in the Declaration of

Independence.

 

Background: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created

equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,

that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" - Thomas

Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

 

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They, the Founding Fathers, must have debated on the structure, the wording, and

above all the message. Life and liberty are straightforward but 'the pursuit of

happiness' is ingenious. Happiness is slippery, ephemeral, and a bottomless pit.

As soon as a desire is satisfied, the mind at once craves for more or something

different. The pursuit itself cannot be more real and perennial, however, and

the collective wealth is a byproduct of this burning call for fulfillment. The authors

must have been keenly aware that the new nation they were bringing upon the

earth stands on the strength of the story alone.