Introduction
In recent years, there has been considerable discussion about success, both online and in real life. Success is most often referred to as the achievement of some goals. Since everyone has different goals, success is not a one-size-fits-all concept. Achieving a goal does not always cause a storm of positive emotions or happiness, as many people believe. Indeed, once the goal is reached, people tend to set other goals, striving for happiness they believe they can achieve. However, happiness is not the result but a process, and being successful is only distantly related to it.
The Relation Between Success and Happiness
Many people chase success, sincerely believing that it will bring them genuine happiness. However, studies show that the more people concentrate on being successful, the more they are finally dissatisfied (Grant). Such a situation can be explained by the fact that people “shift from an experiencing mode to an evaluating mode”, trying to compare their present and past experiences (Grant, para. 4). Such comparison prevents people from being absorbed in an activity, and they cannot fully enjoy what they do.
The second reason why success does not equate to happiness lies in the fact that to be happy, people need engagement and sharing, which are not necessarily perceived as part of success. Indeed, success is often viewed as an economic standard that people strive to achieve (Porter). However, “pursuing economic growth often has negative side effects – carbon emissions, environmental degradation – that are likely to make [people] unhappy down the road” (Porter, p. 461). Many people’s actions, which actually make individuals feel good and contented, have no economic benefits at all.
One such action is active engagement, whether in person or online, with others. Having a family and friends who will support a person in any circumstances renders people happier than receiving a lot of money and a promotion. Konnikova speaks on the importance of engagement in her article “How Facebook makes us unhappy”, noting that people feel happier when they have a sense of sharing in each other’s lives. Indeed, “when people engage[] in direct interaction with others […] their feelings of bonding and general social capital increase[], while their sense of loneliness decreases []” (Konnikova, para. 7). The engagement rarely lies in the economic ground, therefore can hardly be the measurement of success.
Ultimately, people tend to overestimate the impact of specific events on their feelings of contentment. While major events such as winning a gold medal and getting a lot of money in a lottery cause elation, they do not “yield lasting gains in happiness” (Grant, para. 6). This happens because people’s psyche adapts to new circumstances; therefore, positive emotional effects of events usually associated with success cannot be lasting (Grant). Instead, happiness is a day-to-day routine and consists of simple things people enjoy daily, such as spending time with family and friends or watching a good movie on TV.
Conclusion
While success is often seen as an achievement and a result, happiness is more often a process, the experience of living that regularly renders positive emotions. Studies show that a high position and a good salary do not make people as happy as more minor things, such as spending time with friends or relatives. Striving for success, people often diminish the value of what they have and struggle to concentrate on the positive emotions they experience.
Works Cited
Grant, Adam. Does Trying to Be Happy Make Us Happy? Daily Good.
Konnikova, Maria. How Facebook Makes Us Unhappy. The New Yorker, 2003.
Porter, Eduardo. What happiness is.