How do you measure how successful someone is in life?

[mongolloid]

There was an article in the school newspaper today which asked this question. It gave a formula which had FB friends, GPA, physical fitness, capital, etc. as the criteria. I thought this was superficial, though. I believe that someone's success can only be measured by that same someone, so in a way, how happy someone is is the true gauge for how successful he or she is.

But I would like to know what you think.

How do YOU measure how successful someone is in life?

 

[Xpwn3ntial]

By how long history takes to forget them.

 

[New Troll]

Success in life is measured by how long (much) they actually live(d).

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I'd still consider someone with a few close personal friends far more successful than one with hundreds of Facebook friends.

Think of Facebook as a bit of a community bordello, and the users as venereal diseases. Anyone can come and go as they please, but sooner or later everyone has VD.

 

[RaphaelsRedemption]

Successful at WHAT in life? You could take it at face value and say, the person who lives longest is the most successful.

However, your school paper seems to be measuring success by a person's life balance.

Others could meausre it by financial success, by fame or by happiness.

I'm more likely to consider someone successful if they seem to have a well balanced life and are happy with themselves, but that may not be someone else's view...

 

[HT_Black]

All I know is that you've made it once you have a page on Wikipedia that you didn't write. Beyond that, sucess is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Lazarus Long]

By how happy they are. I would call a guy living under a bridge with a mangy dog more successful than the CEO of a multinational megacorp if the bridge guy was content with his life, and the CEO jumped off his penthouse ledge.

Or you could just go with kill/death ratio.

 

[Ham_authority95]

There was an article in the school newspaper today which asked this question. It gave a formula which had FB friends, GPA, physical fitness, capital, etc. as the criteria. I thought this was superficial, though. I believe that someone's success can only be measured by that same someone, so in a way, how happy someone is is the true gauge for how successful he or she is.

But I would like to know what you think.

How do YOU measure how successful someone is in life?

I measure people's successes by whether they are happy with the life they've chosen, and whether or not they feel "lost" or yearning for something else. However, many people's lives may be based on yearning for more than they currently have.

 

[Udyrfrykte]

First and foremost: Happiness. Really, wtf does all the money in the world give you if you are so miserable you overdose on coke at the age of 30 all alone?

But that's a bit too gullible to say just happiness, there needs to be other factors for creating happiness I guess.

My life: I'm a student finishing up my studies this summer. I live together with a wonderful girlfriend, and we make eachother very happy. I got many friends, but currently live at a fair distance from them. Moving closer soon though.

What pulls me down is that I don't have a job yet, and I don't know if I will even get one anytime soon when I finish my bachelor degree. Also, I wish to accomplish more in sports than I have done so far before I get too old (just 21 yet tho, still hope!).

I've made a lot of stupid choices earlier in life regarding my future. Realized too late that all I wanted was a good girlfriend, a job (maybe even fun one) and a place to live = Stability.

One day maybe I'll wish for a dog, house and kids.
So.. that might not be "famous success", but success is (imo) what you accomplish in life to make yourself happy.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

Fame, Money, and Power.

 

[IzisviAziria]

This. Money is nice, but if it costs your soul, I'd really rather be poor.

 

[loc978]

Stability and contentment tend to be my yardstick for success. If someone is consistently stressed out over money, work, or anything else... they're unsuccessful at life, in my book.

 

[theComposer]

I believe that every person must come up with their own definition to success, and only measure themselves against it. Don't let someone else tell you how to live your life, and don't tell someone else how to live theirs. Live your life how you want (within reason of course) and try to achieve your own versions of success and purpose.

 

[fgdfgdgd]

By how happy there are, simple.

 

[Lazzi]

I dont understand how you can measure succes or ditate the pourpose of a person while they are still alive.

 

[SimuLord]

There was an article in Men's Health magazine a few years back that really struck me---it talked about the rising suicide rate among suburban white males age 28-40 and interviewed a few guys in this demo who'd ended up in psychiatric care for depression after their suicides failed (or they got help before it got to that point.)

The overarching consensus among those guys: "I woke up in the morning, looked at my wife and kids and house in the suburbs and white picket fence, realized I had to go to work at a job I hated to support something that I don't want for myself but felt like I had to have in order to impress my friends and make my family proud, and thought 'I just can't take this anymore. I want out.' And that's when I knew I needed help before I ended up jumping off a bridge."

The article came out in late 1999 or so...and the advice given---don't let your responsibilities or societal duties get in the way of your development as a man and as a human being---has been one of my guiding principles in life ever since. And for the most part I've managed to stave off the depression that the article warned about.

Oddly enough, my own battles with depression over the years have come when I've tried to "fit in" because of the overwhelming social pressure out there, and I've got a heart attack, a near suicide attempt, and a divorce (in that order over the span of about two years between age 29-31) to show for it. Never again. I'll chase the money so I can afford what I want...and if someone wants to come along for the ride, they're welcome to it.

 

[chriswolvie]

To quote a certain angel who got his wings on Christmas, 1945 by helping a down-on-his-luck building and loan manager learn how wonderful his life has been, "NO man is a failure who has friends." So...if you have friends - whether one or one hundred - you're successful.