All by itself, the freedom to pursue happiness ought to bring Americans joy, but the cramped, maddeningly distracted nature of our modern lives has made it harder than ever. TIME’s Jeffrey Kluger on how we can reconcile the contradictions between our pioneer impulse to chase ever-grander dreams and our contemporary craving for contentment and a respite from the chase. Read the cover story here.
How do you look for fulfillment—and does what you do work? Take our poll and learn how your answers compare with the results of TIME’s national poll.
Jon Meacham on why the founders enshrined the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence—and why it was about something bigger than bliss
Here are the 18 of the most inspiring and imaginative submissions as selected by our photo editors
From Steve Jobs to Mark Twain and Ayn Rand, wise words on the many paths to happiness
See what the research says about what helps–and what hurts–in our pursuit of bliss
Finding bliss is complicated, no matter where you are in the world
