The Pursuit of Happiness Requires Free Time | Danielle Roberts | TED

The speaker highlights the irony of discussing time in a brief TED Talk, noting that the Founding Fathers promised the pursuit of happiness, which requires time—a resource many lack. The speaker's father, after 40 years of tile work, received knee surgery for retirement and felt compelled to find another job. This situation reflects a deeper issue than just time management, arguing it's a civil rights problem. Many Americans work multiple jobs, losing personal time, impacting their ability to participate in democracy. The current pace of life, driven by convenience and productivity, has replaced genuine connection. The last successful fight for more time was over a century ago, securing "eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what you will." The speaker proposes a "Time Amendment," asserting time as a civil right, independent of income. Joy is presented as evidence of a functioning democracy, and rest as essential infrastructure, not merely a reward. The "pursuit of happiness" is a promissory note that needs to be collected.