One primary natural human right is the right to pursue unhappiness. The exercise of that right begins with a kind of premeditated choice that marks a fundamental point of differentiation between human beings and other animals. The pursuit of unhappiness is a free act of the human will, requiring discipline of the body and mind, contrary to a creature’s instinct to pursue happiness.
The pursuit of unhappiness is an absolute right because it needs no defense against anyone or thing that tries to hinder the free action. It is impossible to deprive an individual of this right, for any attempt to interfere with the choice to be unhappy validates the right.
A life based on the long-proposed right to the pursuit of happiness, which is a reflection of the political philosophy of John Locke and incorporated into the Declaration of Independence, implies an ascending material prosperity. Accordingly, the pursuit of unhappiness implies a descending material prosperity. Descending prosperity need not equate with asceticism, but requires the acquisition of necessities through benign labor. The maxim to follow is: Maximize Simplicity and Minimize Complicity. The choice to pursue unhappiness leads to a genuine state of social justice where individuals are freed from the manipulating peddlers of consumer wants.
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