"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 those are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." (United States Declaration of Independence) This declaration seems to equate happiness with safety and security. To what extent do you agree with that? Do you think this is what Chris Gardner sees as happiness?

Most people may think of happiness as a big emotion. One thinks of laughter, giggling, having all that one could ever wish for- things that are overemphasized by commercial makers and movie makers alike. For me personally, happiness is a simple emotion, one that can take be shown with the expression of a single genuine smile. I do equate happiness with safety and security, for the mere reason that you cannot enjoy many moments without a sense of being safe or secure. These things are the foundation for happiness. Once a person feels safe, they feel free to take pleasure in the small moments of their lives. Only when secure in themselves can one take the time to enjoy the good things in life, because the next day is not a promise. For those without safety and security, the emotion controlling their lives is fear. Fear blocks happiness like a dam blocks a river. Very little happiness is able to flow through.

Throughout the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, we can see that Chris Gardner does believe in a sense of safety and security as a foundation for happiness, because in his pursuit of his own happiness, that is what he is shown to be looking for. A safe place for him and his son to stay, so that they may continue on to better things when they wake up from their shelter. When he got the job at the firm, Gardner stated that he was happy. This is because the job meant more to him than just being able to work, it meant security. A job means that he'll have a steady paycheck and that he no longer has to live day by day, striving to make just enough money to keep him and his son alive. With his new job, Chris can be safe in the knowledge that he and his son will be able to survive because they have enough money to do so now. And this makes him happy.

*Of course, other factors do play a role in the multi-faceted concept known as happiness. But safety and security are some of thee most major roles.