To me this question feels foundational for finding the common ground between us. Whatever your neighbor’s perspectives or political views, I bet you can relate to their answers to this question. It also draws us to consider our nation’s roots, and what forms the basis for our common cause.
I actually think that statement was negotiated in replace of the single word ‘property’. Which is the way one attains liberty and pursuit of happiness.
All non-procreated derivatives of your life are your property. Ideas, your body, all the things you work for. This was the intent of the original draft of our Declaration of Independence. But the slave owners wouldn’t agree to those terms so that language was softened to the happiness idea.
This one single failure is likely the reason we are in such a pickle now. To me if we better defined our terms, life and liberty and happiness would be much easier to keep.