Sunday, September 24, 2006

Does success lead to happiness?

Success is getting what you want.

Happiness is wanting what you get.

Am I happy? Or, am i successful yet? I think I'm neither, today. Miles to go before I find the answer to these questions in my life...Or I might never...

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9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

These are questions for everyone to ponder about....

11:49 PM  
Blogger Padmanaban Kumar (Paddu @ Just for Kicks) said...

Well, the more I think about Dorothy Stevenson's definitions of success and happiness (as on the post), the more I tend to disagree with her.

One (need for success) makes me ambitious and the other (need for happiness) makes me complacent. So, I cannot be successful and happy at the same time ?

If that is true, I'd definitely rather be successful than happy, hoping that the success, if and when achieved, would bring happiness along...

12:09 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with your comments and reasoning, but which path to take, depends on the individual

1:21 AM  
Blogger Padmanaban Kumar (Paddu @ Just for Kicks) said...

For sure! these are two differing mentalities I would guess...

1:38 AM  
Blogger Dream Sporting said...

The subject by itself is so discussion worthy and your choice of success over happiness makes it even more interesting....As always, these questions come down to....INDIVIDUAL - HIS/HER PERSPECTIVE - BALANCE.

Just like you, my own search for answers is an ongoing process, that I believe would stretch to *forever*. The good news is that, there is so much to learn, analyze, derive and alienate from the everyday choices I myself have made in the past and the choice that I see my own peers make. Reaching further out, celerity stories (sportspersons, in my case) provoke a lot of thought.

Anyway, discussing this in depth would be nice....and it doesn't necessarily have to be done in the blogosphere. Do they have a Wang's Kitchen here??? :D

2:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Are you sure you would rather be successful than be happy...or rather be successful and live on the hope for it to bring happiness along?I feel there are many other desires,small or big,in life(not just ambitions) that make one genuinely happy...dont you?

7:17 PM  
Blogger Padmanaban Kumar (Paddu @ Just for Kicks) said...

When we define success as getting what we want, I don't just attribute it to ambitions. In my life, as you say, there are both small things and big things, that I want. What is small to one, may be much bigger to another, right?

I think we are both thinking on the same lines. You feel there are many other 'desires' that make one genuinely happy. The desire itself does not make you happy. But only if you take the intiative to get them and get them! And that's what is success, be it a small desire or a big desire. It should obviouly be followed by smiles on your face. If it is not, go back and reflect if that is what you really wanted.

Happiness as per Dorothy's definition that I've cited in the post (wanting what you get), according to me, is just forcing yourself to be happy (remember it is not genuine in this case) with whatever you have. And that happens when you start becoming complacent, or vice-versa.

12:33 AM  
Blogger Padmanaban Kumar (Paddu @ Just for Kicks) said...

And that kind of forced happiness, cannot be long-lived for sure.

For example, say today you want to possess an object A or do an action A. If you currently don't have the ability to get A (due to whatever reason), but you have B, and try to convince yourself (wrongly) that you can be happy with B, then everytime you see A, or see someone doing A, you will be disturbed. Do not mistake it for jealousy or greediness. It's unsuccessfulness.

So, short-lived is your genuine happiness.

1:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Agree with u on this ...like always!

6:28 PM  

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