Many people have wondered whether success or happiness is the better goal to pursue. They wouldn’t care if it meant they had to forsake one or the other to gain what they desired. It’s something that everyone can relate to, especially college students who might be pursuing a degree or a program they believe would be the key to achieving their goals in life.
But along the way, some might realize it’s not true; they’re better off doing something else, while others would maintain the path that they are on, knowing it’s better to endure what lies ahead even if they hate it. That shouldn’t be the case; it is better to pursue happiness over success.
I have experienced many cases where I questioned whether to pursue one of the two roads. The first time I could remember considering which path to choose was back in high school, where I had a teacher who told me a story of how they used to work for a company that paid a lot more than what they were earning as teachers, yet they found their previous job so boring and unfulfilling that they quit and pursued a job that, while paying less, brought them more excitement and joy than what they had before.
It’s not as though one statement is enough to determine one’s destination. T, there has been plenty of research and evidence to support the claim that happiness is the better focus. An article from Positive Psychology discusses the topic, with a multitude of researchers to back up their data. According to psychologist Daniel Gilbert, who is a psychology professor at Harvard, happiness is the ultimate goal of virtually all the decisions we make in life. There’s a lot of information going back and forth between the two, claiming the two are interconnected, but in the end, happiness remains more important.
A lot of people might consider the opposite to be true. They would think success would bring happiness by ensuring a luxurious lifestyle where things like finance and housing are no longer issues they’d have to face. It is partially true, I agree, but would it still bring happiness if the way they pursued it was by doing something they disliked?
It is common for people to think they must walk the path of a high-paying career, say, being a doctor or a lawyer, which most people would immediately point to as being the most successful. One might also be pressured by their parents or peers to pursue a certain degree or take certain classes for the sake of their future and stability. Some might even try and pressure you into doing a certain task in a specific way because they’re unhappy with how you did something before, thus, they force their opinions on life and knowledge upon you, claiming it’s for the best.
It’s okay to not walk that same path; it’s okay to not try to become a doctor or a lawyer solely because they pay a lot; it’s okay to not do what your family or friends tell you is best for you; it’s okay to not always have to climb the highest mountain to achieve your goal.
Do what makes you happy, what brings joy and pleasure and what you truly can do, even if that thing doesn’t make you rich or famous. But if you can find something that makes you both happy and successful, then go for it; do your best to achieve that ambition, but don’t allow yourself to forsake your own happiness to satisfy others or no one at all.
Lee Cloward can be reached at [email protected]