Knowing "Happyness"

This seems to be my week for movies. I watched the movie "The Pursuite of Happyness", it's not the first time i've seen it. Although, this was the first time that i was struck by a statement made in the movie. Will Smith's character, Chris, asks the question: "How did he- (Thomas Jefferson)- know..that happiness wasn't something you could have, but something you pursued."

I found this statement interesting. It is true. We spend so much time trying to be happy, more often than not, people find themselves faced with the question: Am i truely happy? We all "pursue" our own happiness in our own ways. Some get married, some stay single. Some are dedicated to work, some to familes, some to hobbies. Some pursue happiness in the material sense, others in the spiritual sense.

I also found this interesting because of the word "know". It stood out among the rest. This idea that we "pursue" happiness implies, as chris also says, that we are never actually happy. Sure, i can see the truth in that. We spend so much time "pursuing", it's hard not to say that very few of us actually are happy. If we were, wouldn't this pursuite cease? Maybe, or perhaps, when we achieve one level of happiness we are compelled to pursue another level, seemingly, higher than the one we're on. Even this, however, implies that one is never, truely, happy, that all pursuite ceases.

I won't deny, that when i first heard the statement i automatically disagreed. Thinking back, i think i disagreed because i didn't like the idea of someone "knowing" that people, including myself, would never be happy. Rather, would spen a life- time pursuing it, which, in turn, implies the possibility that one could die never fully being happy. I think, however, that all of us have this burning desire to be happy, and most of us would probably react in the same way.

Looking back, however, i can't help but admire the statement; and i'm not afraid to admit that this admiration may also be a sign of how limited my imagination may be. It goes back to what i've already said. It's interesting how Thomas Jefferson, through his own experiances and knowledge, or so it seems to me at least, was able to inscribe on the most famous document in American history, that happiness, with a "y" not an "i", would never be fully achieved. Rather it would exist as a state of being that one works towards. Often, for an entire life- time, and even then one never comes close to saying that they were fully happy.

Personally, i think there are a lot of things and people that i admire. So i think it's fair to say that my imagination may be extremely limited. However, i believe what i lack in imagination i make up for in other aspects of my life. I can't exactly think of any at the moment, so i may come back to that one later on! :) or just leave it hanging as a constant reminder.