Price of Success Poll - Page 2

Cloud · 10-27-2008, 08:27 AM

Pride and reputation.

"Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards." --Aral Vorkosigan.

SamIam · 10-27-2008, 09:45 AM

I guess if forced to choose, I would say pride also. The thing is that there's a difference between pride and arrogance. There's nothing wrong with being proud of your achievements or your family, for example. Really, if I had all those things on the list, I would consider myself successful, no matter what the world might say.

hawkhoney · 10-27-2008, 09:48 AM

Well - may sound like a dumb answer but I do not think that sacrificing any of the above would lead to success. I guess I would need the meaning of success defined. I consider myself successful in what I do and while I do not make a million a year I do not need that for me to be successful. Maybe a better question would be what would you be willing to sacrifice to be happy.

sweetwater · 10-27-2008, 09:55 AM

Following the footsteps of many who either made the choice with their better brains and hearts, or had the choice forced upon them, I chose 'money'.

Sundae · 10-27-2008, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Maybe a better question would be what would you be willing to sacrifice to be happy.

Ah now that's more up my street.
Replace Happiness with Success in the poll.

For happiness I would sacrifice:
Success
Comfort
Pride
Money

What I would not sacrifice:
Reputation - no. I worry too much about what other people think, and it would eat at my happiness if I was thought to be something I'm not, or despised for who I am.
Honour - no. It's a slightly outdated concept, but I have a baseline of how I expect myself to behave and couldn't be happy if I'd crossed it.
Health - be careful what you wish for. If I knew the terms, then maybe. Ten years of happiness and then death would be fine. A long lingering illness that affected my family would not.
Love - never. I wouldn't give up love for success, for happiness, for money. I'd rather love and be loved than anything else on earth.

xoxoxoBruce · 10-27-2008, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawkhoney

I guess I would need the meaning of success defined.

That's the point. I think everyone would like to have all the things on the list. You (everyone) have to define what success is to you. Then decide what is necessary to achieve it, and what is not.

lookout123 · 10-27-2008, 10:36 AM

happiness = success.

i'll still sacrifice comfort to achieve it.

Perry Winkle · 10-27-2008, 10:41 AM

For success and happiness I need love and friendship. I need to know where my next meal is coming from and that I can pay my rent and other necessities. I need to be able to work hard at something that benefits someone in some way and I need someone to notice from time to time. I need a bit of time every day to exercise.

I don't need a large home. I don't need a lot of friends. I don't need a lot of appreciation or money. I don't need to be doing something noble to feel proud and content. More is not always better. I'm happy with what I have and if I get a little more, I'll be happy with that too.

Clodfobble · 10-27-2008, 01:13 PM

I'm calling shenanigans on the large number of people who voted "money." Every one of them was thinking, "Yeah, I don't need to be rich," and we all know that everyone's definition of rich is "someone who makes more than I do."

Quote:

I need to know where my next meal is coming from and that I can pay my rent and other necessities.

Not picking on you with the quote Perry, you just happened to sum up exactly what I think all those others were thinking to themselves. IMHO the above means you're not actually "giving up" money--by comparison, how many people thought giving up love would mean being completely bereft of any love in their lives? No one looked at the "love" choice and said, "Well, I need to know that there are a couple people out there who care for me, just enough to keep me from being suicidal, but beyond that I don't need a lot of love so I'll check that box."

In the end, I don't think very many people who voted would consider themselves "successful" if they were completely and totally dirt poor.

glatt · 10-27-2008, 01:19 PM

What is money for though? It's for buying things. Why do you have things? For comfort. If you give up money, but retain comfort, it means that you have somebody taking care of your comfort. Kind of like a kid. So I'd give up money if my comfort was still being taken care of in some magic way.

Sundae · 10-27-2008, 01:58 PM

When I was considering happiness rather than success, I realised I could give up comfort. Probably not forever, but could I live the life of a Settler for example, and be happy if the other aspects were there (pride, honor, love etc)

And yes, I can live on the bare minimum of money if I'm happy. I'm not far off now. And after all we must be talking bare minimum, as health is a separate question. In fact I could even perceive success rather than happiness without financial reward. A critically acclaimed poet or film-maker for example.

Perry Winkle · 10-27-2008, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

What is money for though? It's for buying things. Why do you have things? For comfort. If you give up money, but retain comfort, it means that you have somebody taking care of your comfort.

Not necessarily. Comfort is fluid. It's different for different people, and changes for each person over time. I can be comfortable with very little, as long as I'm not terrified that I won't be able to afford clean and safe food and shelter. Other's aren't comfortable unless they can eat out a lot, have a certain level of car, a large home, and are seen as having a certain social status.

Also, the poll says "sacrifice" not "do without completely." I don't think anyone is saying they'd give up all of any of those things for success. However, I might invest some of my savings to try starting my own business, in the hopes of achieving greater success. That amount of money might be little enough that it doesn't qualitatively effect my comfort. This would count as sacrificing money, in the short term.

Trilby · 10-27-2008, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

What I would not sacrifice:
Reputation - no. I worry too much about what other people think, and it would eat at my happiness if I was thought to be something I'm not, or despised for who I am.

What makes this so easy for me is that I already know I'm despised. It's very freeing!

Sundae · 10-27-2008, 04:36 PM

I wouldn't give up my small pleasures...

Who cares if straightlaces
Sneer at us in the street?
Fine airs and fine graces
Don't have to sin to eat...

Aliantha · 10-27-2008, 05:30 PM

When I think about giving up comfort I think of giving up all the mod cons and going back to nature. Camping without a toilet and shower etc.

I am still happy and could live like that forever if I had to, but it's not as comfortable as sitting on the couch with a hot drink on a cold night.

View Poll Results: Which of the following would you be willing to sacrifice for being successful?
Happiness	1	3.85%
Comfort	5	19.23%
Reputation	4	15.38%
Pride	8	30.77%
Honor	2	7.69%
Health	1	3.85%
Money	13	50.00%
Love	2	7.69%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 26. You may not vote on this poll

10-27-2008, 08:27 AM	#16
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	Pride and reputation. "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards." --Aral Vorkosigan. __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

10-27-2008, 09:48 AM	#18
hawkhoney Fresh Incumbent Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NE US of A Posts: 28	Well - may sound like a dumb answer but I do not think that sacrificing any of the above would lead to success. I guess I would need the meaning of success defined. I consider myself successful in what I do and while I do not make a million a year I do not need that for me to be successful. Maybe a better question would be what would you be willing to sacrifice to be happy. __________________ With all of our running and all of our cunning, If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.

10-27-2008, 09:55 AM	#19
sweetwater lives inside a Mobius strip Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,120	Following the footsteps of many who either made the choice with their better brains and hearts, or had the choice forced upon them, I chose 'money'. __________________ I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque! - Bugs Bunny

10-27-2008, 10:36 AM	#22
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	happiness = success. i'll still sacrifice comfort to achieve it. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

10-27-2008, 09:45 AM	#17
SamIam Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Not here Posts: 2,655	I guess if forced to choose, I would say pride also. The thing is that there's a difference between pride and arrogance. There's nothing wrong with being proud of your achievements or your family, for example. Really, if I had all those things on the list, I would consider myself successful, no matter what the world might say.

10-27-2008, 10:41 AM	#23
Perry Winkle Esnohplad Semaj Ton Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: A little south of sanity Posts: 2,259	For success and happiness I need love and friendship. I need to know where my next meal is coming from and that I can pay my rent and other necessities. I need to be able to work hard at something that benefits someone in some way and I need someone to notice from time to time. I need a bit of time every day to exercise. I don't need a large home. I don't need a lot of friends. I don't need a lot of appreciation or money. I don't need to be doing something noble to feel proud and content. More is not always better. I'm happy with what I have and if I get a little more, I'll be happy with that too.

10-27-2008, 01:19 PM	#25
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	What is money for though? It's for buying things. Why do you have things? For comfort. If you give up money, but retain comfort, it means that you have somebody taking care of your comfort. Kind of like a kid. So I'd give up money if my comfort was still being taken care of in some magic way.

10-27-2008, 01:58 PM	#26
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	When I was considering happiness rather than success, I realised I could give up comfort. Probably not forever, but could I live the life of a Settler for example, and be happy if the other aspects were there (pride, honor, love etc) And yes, I can live on the bare minimum of money if I'm happy. I'm not far off now. And after all we must be talking bare minimum, as health is a separate question. In fact I could even perceive success rather than happiness without financial reward. A critically acclaimed poet or film-maker for example. __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

10-27-2008, 04:36 PM	#29
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	I wouldn't give up my small pleasures... Who cares if straightlaces Sneer at us in the street? Fine airs and fine graces Don't have to sin to eat... __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

10-27-2008, 05:30 PM	#30
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	When I think about giving up comfort I think of giving up all the mod cons and going back to nature. Camping without a toilet and shower etc. I am still happy and could live like that forever if I had to, but it's not as comfortable as sitting on the couch with a hot drink on a cold night. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

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