the pursuit of happiness

The Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal... [and their rights include] Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Changing property to happiness does leave the document more open for interpretation, but what is the pursuit of happiness in real life, for real people who are created equal. In the movie The Pursuit of Happiness, based on a true starring Will Smith, Smith is homeless and trying to support for him and his son. He states at the end of the movie, after receiving a long desired job, that that part of his life was happiness. So is it money that means happiness? Alan Krueger, an economist from Princeton University states that "Income... matters very little for moment-to-moment experiences." Other studies have proven, and I am paraphrasing, but if a person has enough money for basic necessities such as food, clothing, and housing, from that point money on has no effect on a person's happiness. So maybe Will Smith was only trying to support for him and his son to attain basic necessities, but knowing this, why are so many people so interested in making money? It seems almost pointless to have many luxuries if we know it will not make us happier. And yet, money and income is a very common interest between people.

The declaration also states that all men are created equal, but in what sense? At first, women and blacks were not even allowed to vote, so if they were born white males, they would have been born of a higher status, able to vote. How is the word equal actually defined, and how does it effect a person's pursuit of happiness? Maybe it means that all people should have a fair shot at life without discrimination or judgement. This makes sense, and yet, it appears as if it is nowhere near the truth. People born into almost any minority are said to be equal, but why then is there so much trouble later in life trying to find happiness; it should be the same for all people as stated by the declaration. We are born the same people that we are when we are older, so if we are created equal shouldn't we always be equal? The answer is yes, and yet, so many people are subjugated by others and still find happiness. Maybe it is because they are idealistic and want to see the good in everyone, or maybe they are pragmatic and know that they have to ignore others and find happiness on their own, but either way, happiness is found with or without being in the majority or having more money. The pursuit of happiness is very different to each person, and it should not matter what luxeries someone has or how other people view them, because happiness can and is found despite everythings else.