What does it mean to be a success?

For me you are successful when your 'wants' are fulfilled.

But then we have a problem with our definition of success as what people 'want' varies enormously.

Success is therefor a perception and not only will that perception vary from culture to culture but from person to person depending on what that persons 'wants' are in life.

For example: Many people perceived by others as successful may not be happy and content themselves because they still want more than they have. For them they will not view themselves successful until they have what is presently unobtainable.

I read something once about students who commit suicide and how their high achiever personality traits never allow them to enjoy success or feel successful as whatever they achieve for themselves is never enough. No amount of persuasion by family/friends/tutors telling them they are successful helps convince them. In the end the sense of failure is too great and they kill themselves.

Does this mean that success can be both an objective concept and a subjective one and both right and wrong at the same time depending upon who is doing the perceiving?

Is a happy homeless hobo MORE successful than a miserable discontented millionaire?

 

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Hmm, I'm 63 yrs old and I've seldom experienced a time my life when I didn't want something ...one way or another. No, I think ye're wrong. I think we quit wanting things a few seconds after we're dead!

Success has to be measured, thus such things as "wants" are impossible to quantify. In my own view, "contentment" is what success means, but that, too, can't be quantified.

Happiness? How does one measure it? And if one is happy today, that ain't no sign that he'll be happy tomorrow.

Well, he (or you) might think so, but how can you prove it? How can you quantify such measures?

My best guess is that the millionaire is more content if for no other reason than his "tomorrow's" are more secure ...whether happy or not. The homeless hobo just HAS to worry about that to some degree or else he's fuckin' nuts ...in which case, he's probably better off, 'cause ignorance is, indeed, blissful.

Baron Max

 

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What does it mean to be a success? When you make out with Xev and post it on youtube.

 

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So "success" is a short-time event? I.e., if you make out with Xev, you've achieved "success", but does that success last for a lifetime? (Geez, is Xev really that good?!)

Baron Max

 

No, that's only success for Creative Fossil as defined by me.

 

One can be successful in many areas - business, the arts, science, sports, spirituality.

Generally the most famous people in history were those successful in spirituality, politics, or art.

Most know who Jesus, Napoleon and Da Vinci were.

But can you name the most successful businessmen from say, the Renaissance?

 

To me, success is being pleasing to God. Nothing else matters. I've been rich and I've been poor. I reached all my goals, "self-actualized" at 40 (according to shrink friends), and still wanted to do more for Him. Nothing else in this world matters to me other than being pleasing to Him and doing His work.:worship:

 

Success for me would be to kill God, stabbing him in the back with the sword of Lucifer.

 

God wants you to love illegal immigrants and terrorists, do you?

 

The secret of success and excellence is not in your accomplishments and achievements, but in the lessons that you learn from your mistakes. Most people think of success in terms of accomplishments. Accomplishments are great, but are short lived. For example, I just graduated. Once the graduation ceremony ends, I still have to worry about working, feeding me and my family, paying bills and continue on with my journey. Where's success? The success is not in the ceremony itself, but on the path towards it. That's where success resides. Every mistake that I made allowed me to grow and improve myself. The success reside in the mistakes. The accomplishments never last, because we are always improving. Every time a mistake is made, an opportunity for improvement arises. Once that opportunity is taken, then success is achieved. Sadly, our species view mistakes as something flawed, that must be avoided. Ironically, that's why our imperfections are perpetually perpetrated.

 

Indeeed....

 

She refuses to answer that. :shrug:

 

Only if they obey the laws and are good little boys and girls. And you'll note that even YOU called them "illegal". So god isn't so happy with them, either.

Baron Max

 

They are illegal under the law of men- not God's.

 

Even god said to render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's due.

Baron Max

 

What does that have to do with "illegal" immigrants?
The planet is ours. We should be able to share it.

 

Success? What is success??

Sucess is the goal of the person alone. You cannot have another defination, as success is measured accordingly. And as such it is the goal of the person alone, success can only be achieved by that person. I think success is to think that you have been successful.

Oh yes, I believe we are forgetting a very importnat poem I would copy and paste but far too annoying to do that-- you guys may know Ralph Waldo Ermeson or whatever the fuck his name is'?

 

I think of success as a 3rd party's measure of a person.

When I think of myself and success, I think of achievements that I've reached and I suppose thinking of myself from a different perspective in the same way someone else would.

To me, to be successful is mainly a money thing. If you see a self made millionaire with a few Ferraris, a couple of mansions and some villas dotted around the world, then he's what I'd call a successful guy.

When people look at what you've got and call you successful, I don't think they're looking at/or give a shit about your happiness and contentment.

I see the two (happiness and success) as different things.

I'd rather have happiness over success any day, but both in large amounts is quite welcome.

 

Some people say success is being a 10 mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, romantically, socially, financially etc... 10 being your best or your reached goal. To attain a 10 in all aspects simultaneously is amazing and doesn't last for too long. Once you reach 10 in all fields, you have to set new goals or you get bored. The journey is amazing. Getting there is even better.

 

The Medicis...

By the way I am the garbageman. Beside making 52K a year, people really miss me if I don't do my job. It is nice to be needed...

I call it success....