How Do You Define Success In Life?

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Gryffindorian, Mar 22, 2013.

  1. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I can't help it, I have to either make an incredibly lame joke about quilts or point out that it is sowing, not sewing.
     
  2. Amaris

    Amaris Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Yes it is. That's what you said. You even bolded the text to make your point.

    No, because now you're differentiating between types of wealth based on how much money one has, which goes back to my original statement that not having enough money to meet food/shelter/medicine requirements really does matter.

    This is what you said:
    Which means that for anyone who has not achieved financial security, money does matter. Do you know how many people that is?

    We've been discussing "I have a powerful need to eat" money, not surplus income for extravagances, and that does matter. You were the one that changed it to mean something such as having financial security, which is absurd, because if people were financially secure, you'd see a lot less worry about money, because most people worry about money so they can pay bills, feed their kids, and afford medicine. Not go out to a five star restaurant every weekend. To say otherwise is to be completely out of touch with how most people live.

    Now, I'm not saying Warp Coil is, because his comment was simple enough. I just wanted to make the point that for most people, money matters in a significant way. You have complicated that, and you still missed the point and muddied the water.
     
  3. JarodRussell

    JarodRussell Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I've heard poor people say that out of bitterness, and rich people say it because they were spoiled and didn't appreciate what they had.

    So the saying is pretty much empty and has no meaning.

    Also the variations:
    "Who cares about being rich, be glad you're healthy instead." Yeah well, get sick and recognize how much it helps being rich.
     
  4. sonak

    sonak Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I think success is about happiness and being comfortable with who you are and what you have. I know very educated people with a lot of money who aren't happy, and I know people with crappy jobs and low status who are pretty happy.

    I think the key is detachment. We don't really control nearly as much as we think we do about what we accomplish and don't, and yet society is arranged as if we are totally in control of where we end up.
     
  5. Use of Time

    Use of Time Commodore Commodore

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    Success or happiness to me is a decent balance of my life at work and my life at home. I want to feel accomplished at work but not smothered or defined by it. I want my free time on the weekends and evenings with my family to be something that they can count on. I could always use more money but my family and I don't do without the things we need. Right now I am content.
     
  6. auntiehill

    auntiehill The Blooness Premium Member

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    Wow, someone actually read my post. :lol:

    I have relatives who are the most miserable people you are ever likely to meet. It is all about "what can I get?" from every person, thing and situation that they happen to encounter. It's one thing to be ambitious, to have goals, and then try to achieve them. That very admirable and rather efficient. However, it's another thing altogether to never enjoy the moment, to never be satisfied and see everything as a contest that must be WON. What a miserable way to go through life.
     
  7. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I define success in life to be: having enough money to pay bills, and perhaps even more important, having your HEALTH.
     
  8. thestrangequark

    thestrangequark Admiral Admiral

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    How does health have anything to do with success? That's just fucking luck.
     
  9. sonak

    sonak Vice Admiral Admiral

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    it's a mix-certainly diet, exercise, and lifestyle affect health, so it's not all luck, but luck does play a part. Of course, luck plays a part in intelligence and physical abilities, looks, and almost everything if you start to think about it.
     
  10. thestrangequark

    thestrangequark Admiral Admiral

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    It's far more luck than anything else.

    Is the term fundamental attribution bias? I can't remember, it's something like that -- the tendency we have to overestimate the role our behavior plays in a situation and underestimate external factors. You can run all the marathons you like and micromanage every fucking nutrient that enters your body, but if you come across the wrong pathogen, or have a gene that's just a little wonky, you're fucked.

    ETA: Fundamental Attribution Error -- I was close!
     
  11. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Ah, okay... *backs away slowly*
     
  12. thestrangequark

    thestrangequark Admiral Admiral

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    ^It's no big deal, I just don't really understand the mindset of equating good health with success. But maybe that's because I have a chronic illness.
     
  13. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ I meant no offense. :(
     
  14. thestrangequark

    thestrangequark Admiral Admiral

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    ^What makes you think I was offended? I was pointing out a flaw in logic.
     
  15. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Probably your use of the 'f' word.
     
  16. Amaris

    Amaris Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I'm offended!

    Nah, not really. :lol:
    tsq is right, though. Good health is a roll of the genetic dice.
     
  17. thestrangequark

    thestrangequark Admiral Admiral

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    Clearly I don't swear nearly enough on this board if people think my using fuck implies offense! If I'm offended I will say so. If I use 'fuck' it's because I've had a mouth like a sailor since I was 6 years old.
     
  18. CorporalClegg

    CorporalClegg Admiral Admiral

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    FWIW I'm totally on tsq's side.

    I mean look at the transverse: this one time, this one guy got polo. Then he was President.
     
  19. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I agree with you, but if you get hit with a pathogen or develop cancer and you've let yourself fall into a state of lifestyle induced ill health dealing with disease will be a lot harder on you. And that just plain applies to age as well.

    If you say, "I've got my health" that's luck.

    If you say, "I've worked to maintain and achieve this level of physical well being" that's success.
     
  20. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    You should swear more. It's rather fetching.