The legal right to the pursuit of happiness probably means that Americans are granted the freedom to become all that they might become. While America embraced this wonderful thought at its founding, it was hardly a new idea. Aristotle proposed it almost 2,500 years ago, but the notion of fulfillment has rarely been made explicit or become very popular. It goes by different names such as self-realization or actualization as well as fulfillment, and it is a rather abstract and difficult idea. It is probably easier to think of happiness in terms of pleasure or money or goods – a leisurely vacation, winning the lottery, or a nice home.

I want to explore the idea of fulfillment further but before doing so, it might be helpful to take a brief look at the life of its originator.

Born in Macedonia, just north of what is now Greece, Aristotle was the son of the King's physician. At the age of about 17 Aristotle traveled to Athens to study at Plato's Academy. He remained with Plato for about 20 years until his mentor's death. While Aristotle and Plato had much in common, they did differ on one very important issue. For Plato, truth was to be found in a transcendent world of ideas that is accessed through reason.