Declare Your Independence—From Misery
America’s Founders knew that the pursuit of happiness involved personal liberation.
![An illustration of a happy person amid exploding fireworks of color.](https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/056lv0J2BNBs0cWcrHGRG8ieXZc=/656x0:2344x1688/80x80/media/img/mt/2024/07/HowToBuildALife196/original.jpg)
America’s Founders knew that the pursuit of happiness involved personal liberation.
If you have anxiety, or simply want a greater sense of well-being, getting creative is just about the best thing you can do.
The great American thinker never pretended that true independence of mind was easy, but he made a thrilling case for its rewards.
Being able to accept a bad review and use it constructively is not just an essential life skill; it will also make you happier.
And that’s great news.
Being understood yourself starts with taking the trouble to understand others.
If this path to happiness worked for Saint Thomas Aquinas, it can work for you.
There is no age or time of life that isn’t still an opportunity for personal progress.
We evolved to form snap judgments about who’s friend and who’s foe, but we need to be more evolved now.
An uninhibited quest for authenticity sounds great. But if that just means acting out, you’re unlikely to be so happy.