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Things the most successful people I know struggle with to be happy

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Re: Things the most successful people I know struggle with to be happy

#61

Post by mikelyons »

WalterBright wrote: post #54
hdfhu wrote: post #32

"Successful people" are those that come to the ocean shore, build a sand castle (indeed, what else is this sand for?), develop depression protecting it from wind, water and sun, and even force other tourists to build the castle for them. And they die wondering why the ocean shore is such a cruel and pointless place. Their lives aren't worthless,though: at least they develop some will. The wise don't build castles, th…

> The wise don't build castles We would still be trying to kill food by throwing rocks if we were wise.

Wisdom is not for everyone.

Re: Things the most successful people I know struggle with to be happy

#62

Post by yeswecatan »

x87678r wrote: post #53

I think a lot of people in the US are taught from a young age to work hard and be the best you can be. Get into the best college, work hard to get the best job. Get promoted. Get promoted. Start your own firm. Work hard work hard, make money. Often they never learn you are allowed to back off.

Absolutely. One of my favorite teachers in high school used to always say "the harder you work now, the easier it will be later." There is always a later, though.

Re: Things the most successful people I know struggle with to be happy

#63

Post by mikelyons »

Grimm1 wrote: post #41
hdfhu wrote: post #32

"Successful people" are those that come to the ocean shore, build a sand castle (indeed, what else is this sand for?), develop depression protecting it from wind, water and sun, and even force other tourists to build the castle for them. And they die wondering why the ocean shore is such a cruel and pointless place. Their lives aren't worthless,though: at least they develop some will. The wise don't build castles, th…

Thinking without interaction may as well be useless. Even the type of people I believe you to be speaking about wrote and shared their writings to influence others.

The wisest realize there are no others.

Re: Things the most successful people I know struggle with to be happy

#64

Post by felipemnoa »

hdfhu wrote: post #32

"Successful people" are those that come to the ocean shore, build a sand castle (indeed, what else is this sand for?), develop depression protecting it from wind, water and sun, and even force other tourists to build the castle for them. And they die wondering why the ocean shore is such a cruel and pointless place. Their lives aren't worthless,though: at least they develop some will. The wise don't build castles, th…

This quote seems apt:

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

― George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman

Re: Things the most successful people I know struggle with to be happy

#65

Post by syndacks »

WalterBright wrote: post #56
jonnymiller wrote: post #8

This resonates with my own experience: "Although most people look forward to vacations and days off, most successful people I know dread them."—working more hours was a socially acceptable route to not dealing with my own sh*t.

I enjoy my work quite a bit. Vacations, not so much. I like the challenge, I like being in the game. I have no plans to ever retire.

What do you do for work? Have you always done that? Have you always liked the challenge?

Re: Things the most successful people I know struggle with to be happy

#66

Post by KSteffensen »

WalterBright wrote: post #54
hdfhu wrote: post #32

"Successful people" are those that come to the ocean shore, build a sand castle (indeed, what else is this sand for?), develop depression protecting it from wind, water and sun, and even force other tourists to build the castle for them. And they die wondering why the ocean shore is such a cruel and pointless place. Their lives aren't worthless,though: at least they develop some will. The wise don't build castles, th…

> The wise don't build castles We would still be trying to kill food by throwing rocks if we were wise.

I kind of like not freezing in winter. And having a toilet. And antibiotics. And other stuff...

Re: Things the most successful people I know struggle with to be happy

#67

Post by WalterBright »

x87678r wrote: post #53

I think a lot of people in the US are taught from a young age to work hard and be the best you can be. Get into the best college, work hard to get the best job. Get promoted. Get promoted. Start your own firm. Work hard work hard, make money. Often they never learn you are allowed to back off.

> Often they never learn you are allowed to back off.

I don't believe that people cannot think for themselves, nor have I encountered a single person who believes they are not allowed to back off.

Re: Things the most successful people I know struggle with to be happy

#68

Post by _7fvc »

hdfhu wrote: post #32

"Successful people" are those that come to the ocean shore, build a sand castle (indeed, what else is this sand for?), develop depression protecting it from wind, water and sun, and even force other tourists to build the castle for them. And they die wondering why the ocean shore is such a cruel and pointless place. Their lives aren't worthless,though: at least they develop some will. The wise don't build castles, th…

LOL. :) Sometimes I wonder what happens if humans go extinct. There may be a new civilization by ants, spiders, or insect descendants. Or there could be another reptilian domination.

I think the most "successful" people are the people I would not hear about. Likely, some mid-level executives, engineers, professionals. They have enough. They don't need to "move up". They're happy. They don't need to tell people about their stories. So we never hear about them.

Re: Things the most successful people I know struggle with to be happy

#69

Post by DoreenMichele »

mikelyons wrote: post #63
Grimm1 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thinking without interaction may as well be useless. Even the type of people I believe you to be speaking about wrote and shared their writings to influence others.

The wisest realize there are no others.

Which obviously doesn't include anyone on HN talking to people in virtual space, you and me included.

Re: Things the most successful people I know struggle with to be happy

#70

Post by ta1234567890 »

adwn wrote: post #35
ta1234567890 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if most people’s lives were fulfilling, we wouldn’t see that much technological progress Which then makes you wonder: do we really need that much technological progress? I love technology, especially when it helps people lead better lives. But if we are just developing it without real purpose and mentally/emotionally enslaving ourselves to do it, then it seems self-defeating.

> Which then makes you wonder: do we really need that much technological progress? Spoken like someone who takes all of the technological progress of the last centuries for granted. And I don't intend that as a personal attack. Many, many people think like you do, because they can't even begin to imagine a life without the fruits of progress. As for myself, I'm eternally thankful for that progress, for without it, I…

You bring up some excellent points, and you are right that I most likely take most technology for granted.

I would say the issues that you bring up don't have a clear "right answer", and it's all about perspective.

Me and my siblings were all born thanks to c-sections. Without that, none of us would have been born and my mom would have died trying to give birth. Are we better off having been born? Can't say. Is the world a better place because we were born? For who?

It all depends on goals and perspectives. If the goal is to be happy then, are current people happier than people that lived for example five thousand years ago? Have most technological advances been made in the service of happiness? It doesn't seem like it.

So what's the actual benefit of "all the immense benefits" of technology? Being alive? Living longer? Is it better to be alive and live longer just because we can? The answers to those questions depend on your individual situation and perspective on life.

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