The Pursuit of HappYness

In the movie 'The Pursuit of HappYness' Will Smith's character often refers to the famous lines from the Declaration of Independence and talks about how it is the pursuit that matters more rather than happiness itself, however we all we define it. To me the question is not whether this is true or not but why it is so. Is it because we spend our lives pursuing things rather than enjoying the fruits of our labor? Or perhaps because all too often the long-desired happiness doesn't turn out to be happiness after all? In many ways both of these statements are true. But for me the heart of the matter lies elsewhere. The pursuit matters more because the way we set out to achieve happiness individually ends up defining us as personalities and, viewed collectively, shapes our society. Indeed a lot can be said about a man's character by the way he accomplishes his dreams and I know for a fact that I've learned a lot about myself that way. Nonetheless, I also know that I need to be asking myself a lot more frequently the question how my pursuit shapes the society I live in and how it can affect it positively. We all need to ask ourselves that question, even Will Smith's character who goes through hell to achieve his own version of happYness.