What does "successful" mean to you?

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: pinion9

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
so were american indians successful at life before the white man slaughtered them and forced them to live under our civilzations guidelines?

Success if partly defined by our society. Someone successful in America has a different lifestyle than someon who is successful in Darfur.

And no, hunting buffalo and barely making it through winters is not success by today's standards.

your proving my point. everyone, every society and even pieces of society have different ideas of waht success is.

IMO success for me has nothing to do with having a wife and 2 kids and a big house.

there is no right or wrong you cannot quantify it.

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: pinion9

Originally posted by: dr150
If you're happy, your successful!!....Don things for you and NOT for others.

Yes, you are successful at being happy. Success in general is not defined by happiness. The mechanic eeking by changing oil is not, by most definitions, regardless of his current happiness, successful.

If you define happiness to equal success, then we can eliminate one of the words from our vocabulary entirely.

You have a point, but you incorrectly tie financial wealth to success (not surpisingly, most americans equate success with wealth). If the mechanic sets a goal of changing the oil in 20 cars and reaches that goal AND it makes him/her happy/content/accomplished then s/he is successful. Success leads to happiness, if it doesnt then you are persuing the wrong goals.

 

[pinion9]

Originally posted by: homercles337
You have a point, but you incorrectly tie financial wealth to success (not surpisingly, most americans equate success with wealth). If the mechanic sets a goal of changing the oil in 20 cars and reaches that goal AND it makes him/her happy/content/accomplished then s/he is successful. Success leads to happiness, if it doesnt then you are persuing the wrong goals.

Financial security is a catalyst for success and happiness. Not the only one, and not the only metric. But yes, in our society, success is generally accompanied by some amount of wealth. I am not rich, but I am secure (for the moment) and without that I wouldn't necessarily consider myself successful.

 

[EmperorIQ]

wouldn't success mean that you as an individual are hapy with your life as it is currently?

 

[ModerateRepZero]

When you think of being successful, what does that entail?
Lots of money? Happiness? Loving what you do? Fame?

Also, to be successful, do you feel you need a degree?

If you think YOU are successful, tell me why you feel you are and how you got to where you are!
____________________
Success to me is having a sense of accomplishment, having overcome difficult challenges/obstacles, and being happy (not necessarily content) with who you are and what you have. Unlike some people, I consider wealth and material possessions incidental; it gives you a way of keeping score, but mere accumulation is meaningless.
I hold a similar view with fame; sure having 'it' gives a certain measure of one versus others, but in and of itself says little.

 

[fitzov]

OP:

Success is having accomplished something that you feel deserves merit. Of course, you don't need a degree.

 

[Special K]

I really don't know, because right now my idea of success tends to be based entirely on what others around me have, even though I know that's probably not a good viewpoint to have. Reading these forums certainly doesn't help dispel that idea, either.

Honestly ever since graduating college a year ago I have been pretty bored with life. It really doesn't seem like there is much left to do. Right now I am in grad school and will probably graduate next spring and then start working. It seems like 99%+ of the population does the exact same thing - gets a job they probably don't like, gets married because it's expected, has kids, and calls it a life. Granted I have oversimplified many years of a person's life, but I guess I just wish I could do something unique or different, which to me would consist of being someone famous or powerful. Most of those people are born into that sort of lifestyle, however, so that really isn't an option for me.

 

[maziwanka]

finding true love and being truly happy

 

[RKS]

My wife and I both have good jobs, she has an MBA, I have my JD. We have a nice house, 2 cars, blah, blah, blah but I wouldn't call any of it as part of our definition of successful.

For us success and happiness are not exclusive of each other. We enjoy being together with our two boys and dog. For us success is a fullfilling family life and providing our children with every opportunity to be happy and successful themselves. I think that parent are sometimes defined by their children.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Originally posted by: Special K
I really don't know, because right now my idea of success tends to be based entirely on what others around me have, even though I know that's probably not a good viewpoint to have. Reading these forums certainly doesn't help dispel that idea, either.

Honestly ever since graduating college a year ago I have been pretty bored with life. It really doesn't seem like there is much left to do. Right now I am in grad school and will probably graduate next spring and then start working. It seems like 99%+ of the population does the exact same thing - gets a job they probably don't like, gets married because it's expected, has kids, and calls it a life. Granted I have oversimplified many years of a person's life, but I guess I just wish I could do something unique or different, which to me would consist of being someone famous or powerful. Most of those people are born into that sort of lifestyle, however, so that really isn't an option for me.

I think this is a common feeling among young people today. I have had similar thoughts. I think it stems from the fact that workers are more alienated from their jobs than ever before. We work like slaves, and still have no job security.