Success

[Elisius]

I came to know from experience that the greatest challenge for an idealist in life can be accepting that another person can have a completly un-idealistic opinion. Many extreme "green" parties in my country have an idealistic worldview that is nice and that everybody would want but that would never align with human nature. I as a realist, try to factor in the ugly side of life as well and I try to think of it as part of our existence. It's like the World presented in Bladerunner, ugly, dirty and filthy but still loveable cause there is hope.

I dont want to imply that you do not think that way, it was just what came to my mind when I read your post. Sadly many strong idealists live in some sort of dream World from my PoV and I tend to think of that as escapism from the real World.

I accept that some people are cynical and pessimistic, and it's just a symptom of the situations we're in right now.
I've heard of corporate massacres in Africa, pollution and oil spills everywhere, police brutality, political corruption, starvation and poverty all across the globe, I know what goes on with the genocide in Darfur, the destruction in Palestine, and the tyranny in North Korea.
But here's the thing, even amongst all this, it's better than it was a century ago, better than it was a millenia ago. We're winning, that's what matters.
A world with hope is not ugly.

 

[entropie]

I accept that some people are cynical and pessimistic, and it's just a symptom of the situations we're in right now.
I've heard of corporate massacres in Africa, pollution and oil spills everywhere, police brutality, political corruption, starvation and poverty all across the globe, I know what goes on with the genocide in Darfur, the destruction in Palestine, and the tyranny in North Korea.
But here's the thing, even amongst all this, it's better than it was a century ago, better than it was a millenia ago. We're winning, that's what matters.
A world with hope is not ugly.

Yes, I agree. I think you have the heart at the right place

 

[FunnyDigestion]

[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5DySYu5Bfw"]hate[/YOUTUBE]

This song is really loathsome

success, you elusive peacock, i am going to shoot you with a BB gun

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I would like to be embarrassingly successful.

 

[miss fortune]

Success is having what I want, feeling a sense of accomplishment and freedom to do what I want...and of course I want to succeed, I'm human!

 

[EvidenceOfRedemption]

success is loving more than you could ever possibly get back...

the rest is meaningless.

 

[xisnotx]

Success is going to bed every night knowing that if you didn't wake up in the morning you'd be ok with what you did with your life.

 

[Space Socks]

Success is going to bed every night knowing that if you didn't wake up in the morning you'd be ok with what you did with your life.

Personal success, yes.

Everything else is just one big dream.

 

[UniqueMixture]

I think success has as one component of it at least increasing range of choice.

 

[Turtledove]

Success is a rat race. You try to get to the end to get the cheese through mazes while competing with other rodents who want the same cheese.

 

[xisnotx]

That's the game, yes, but success is winning the game...or not playing in the first place.

 

[garbage]

having the power to go where I want, do what I want, get what I want and not do what I don't want is my goal.

This is absolutely my highest priority. I would shape my own destiny, form my own enterprises, and be flexible enough to do the things that inspire me. (That inspiration, for me, is eventually 'forgetting' about myself and enacting true societal change.)

Some power and money is necessary for stability, more is necessary for flexibility and autonomy, even more is necessary for higher and higher standards of living. Money isn't 1:1 with success unless you are explicitly defining success solely in terms of monetary worth.

But I also love me some recognition. I will admit that it matters. I crave it sometimes--for good or for bad. It's good to have drive; it's bad to have drive for unhealthy reasons. I'll be successful when I've broken free of that and am actually doing what I want to do truly on my own terms--rather than on those of others.

 

[Betty Blue]

I accept that some people are cynical and pessimistic, and it's just a symptom of the situations we're in right now.
I've heard of corporate massacres in Africa, pollution and oil spills everywhere, police brutality, political corruption, starvation and poverty all across the globe, I know what goes on with the genocide in Darfur, the destruction in Palestine, and the tyranny in North Korea.
But here's the thing, even amongst all this, it's better than it was a century ago, better than it was a millenia ago. We're winning, that's what matters.
A world with hope is not ugly.

What is better than a centuary ago?
In general the west is a hellava lot better off, but the poorest of the poor have not moved a lot. The places you reference are not doing so much better.

 

[Betty Blue]

I dunno, i look at this thread and see everyone posting about what they want , want, want it seems so fucking greedy.

 

[exact]

What is better than a centuary ago?
In general the west is a hellava lot better off, but the poorest of the poor have not moved a lot. The places you reference are not doing so much better.

A name, Hans Rosling.

A place, TED talks.

It's difficult to see because there will always be the poorest 0.00001% and the richest 0.00001% which occupy our minds; but the average life expectancy and wealth of world has increased dramatically in the past 50 years.

Surely we should focus on the quick/easy wins to maximize net happiness?

http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_asia_s_rise_how_and_when.html

 

[Betty Blue]

 

[exact]

 

[garbage]

I dunno, i look at this thread and see everyone posting about what they want , want, want it seems so fucking greedy.

It's a thread about personal success. This would be akin to noting that everyone is talking about ice cream in a thread that asked "What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?"

I get what you mean, though. We should strive for something more than ourselves, regardless of whether that falls into the realm of "personal success."

A place, TED talks.

Speaking of, Melinda Gates has leveraged personal success to spread awareness about global causes as well. The Gates family being rich as hell allowed them to start their foundation.