Do Success and Happiness Go Hand In Hand?

by Sam on April 2, 2009

Success and happiness are two concepts that are very hard to define. They are totally subjective, and can mean very different things to different people. As a starting point, here are some dictionary definitions (courtesy of dictionary.com):

success: (n.)

  1. The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted: attributed their success in business to hard work.
  2. a) The gaining of fame or prosperity: an artist spoiled by success. b) The extent of such gain.

happiness (n.)

  1. The quality or state of being happy.
  2. Good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

Okay, thanks dictionary, but now I want to know what these things mean to real people. Among others, the question that’s been on my mind is the title of this post: Do success and happiness go hand in hand?

A simple example for myself: this blog. I consider this blog a success. I am achieving the goals I set for myself when I started writing here. Just yesterday, my counter reached 1000 views, and my posts have been recognized by some awesome fellow bloggers in the form of contest wins and guest posts. The other day, after reading my post about “The Quiet Girl in the Corner,” one of my co-workers told me that my writing really makes people think. That’s one of the greatest compliments she could have given me because that’s exactly why I write. When someone comments on one of my posts and tells me how much they enjoyed reading it, that they’ve had a similar experience, or that they’d never considered some of the points I brought up and my post really touched them, I am happy. In this case, success leads to happiness for me.

There a lot of times when succeeding at something makes me happy, but that doesn’t mean that I need to be successful in order to be happy. The people in my life make me happy, picturing the beach brings happy, peaceful thoughts to my head, and I am happy and proud of the person I have become. Sometimes, other people’s success leads to my happiness, like a victory for one of my sports teams or hearing good news about a friend or family member. I have also experienced plenty of unhappy things that had nothing to do with my success or lack there of, and I know that there are many people who appear successful to the outside world, but are actually unhappy.

So, how do you define success and happiness? Do they go hand in hand? How can people be successful and unhappy, or unsuccessful and happy for that matter? Are we, as a society, too consumed with success? I’d love to hear your opinions.

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  • http://littleinsomniaclolita.blogspot.com/ andhari

    Your blog sure is a success, I'm happy for you. It's so nice connecting to others this way :)

  • http://littleinsomniaclolita.blogspot.com/ andhari

    Your blog sure is a success, I'm happy for you. It's so nice connecting to others this way :)

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com/ sameve

    Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my blog. A couple of posts ago, you commented about how strong of a person I am. Well, thank you for that, and I'm sure you are much stronger than you give yourself credit for.

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my blog. A couple of posts ago, you commented about how strong of a person I am. Well, thank you for that, and I'm sure you are much stronger than you give yourself credit for.

  • http://www.smallhandsbigideas.blogspot.com/ Grace Boyle

    I think that success comes after happiness (for me at least). I have to obtain happiness, internally and with the forces around me such as my friends, my passions, who I am as a person and then the work that I spend time on. If I am happy, then I am successful. It's less about a monetary value or my “title,” and more about loving what you do, and doing what you love. That's my two cents and it might be easier said than done but I truly believe that if you're 1) happy and get to that point (however it works for you) then success is inherent and then can go hand-in-hand. Beautiful thoughts, Sam.

  • http://www.smallhandsbigideas.blogspot.com Grace Boyle

    I think that success comes after happiness (for me at least). I have to obtain happiness, internally and with the forces around me such as my friends, my passions, who I am as a person and then the work that I spend time on. If I am happy, then I am successful. It's less about a monetary value or my “title,” and more about loving what you do, and doing what you love. That's my two cents and it might be easier said than done but I truly believe that if you're 1) happy and get to that point (however it works for you) then success is inherent and then can go hand-in-hand.

    Beautiful thoughts, Sam.

  • http://akhila.wordpress.com/ Akhila

    Very interesting post! I think happiness doesn't come necessarily with success, but from within. Happiness is independent of what actually happens in your life, good or bad — or so I believe. Happiness is a state of mind which you can achieve IF you want to. Happiness comes from contentment, and I think you have to LEARN to be content with what you have. If you aren't happy or content now, you may never be — even after every success you will still be unfulfilled. Contentment starts now, and it's a voluntary state of being.

  • http://akhila.wordpress.com Akhila

    Very interesting post! I think happiness doesn't come necessarily with success, but from within. Happiness is independent of what actually happens in your life, good or bad — or so I believe. Happiness is a state of mind which you can achieve IF you want to. Happiness comes from contentment, and I think you have to LEARN to be content with what you have. If you aren't happy or content now, you may never be — even after every success you will still be unfulfilled. Contentment starts now, and it's a voluntary state of being.

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com/ sameve

    Thanks for your insight, Grace! It seems like you have a very healthy outlook, and I hope you continue to love what you do.

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    Thanks for your insight, Grace! It seems like you have a very healthy outlook, and I hope you continue to love what you do.

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com/ sameve

    I agree, it's definitely about being content with what you have. If you're one of those people who is never satisfied and always wants more, your ability to be happy will certainly suffer. Thanks for your comments!

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    I agree, it's definitely about being content with what you have. If you're one of those people who is never satisfied and always wants more, your ability to be happy will certainly suffer. Thanks for your comments!

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    Thanks for your insight, Grace! It seems like you have a very healthy outlook, and I hope you continue to love what you do.

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    I agree, it's definitely about being content with what you have. If you're one of those people who is never satisfied and always wants more, your ability to be happy will certainly suffer. Thanks for your comments!

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