In a 2011 essay in The Atlantic, author and journalists Lori Gottlieb writes:
"Nowadays, it's not enough to be happy---if you can be even happier. The American
Dream and the pursuit of happiness have morphed from a quest for general
contentment to the idea that you must be happy at all times and in every way."
Gottlieb then cites Barry Schwartz, a professor of social theory: "Happiness as a
byproduct of living your life is a great thing... [b]ut happiness as a goal is a recipe for
disaster."
In a constructed response, take a position on the claim that pursuing happiness as a
goal has detrimental (negative) effects. Support your argument with evidence from
The Great Gatsby and at least one other text from this course.