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  • Subject: "Successful" is a stupid word
Subject: "Successful" is a stupid word

Signatures are for little kids.


Posted by: Viper Skills

Posted by: Godshatter
I agree.

All anyone needs is a roof, food and some clothes.

People who get attached to material things are spiritually weak IMO.


What does "spiritually weak" even mean? I feel content and I love life. I also love certain material items. I love books and cannot live without their knowledge. I love my Xbox and I love buying my loved ones gifts.

It's natural to enjoy material things that make our lives easier and/or more enjoyable.
I know what you mean, I have some books and stuff I like and I do like my games too.

I'm thinking of people who have 15 rooms in their houses that they never even go into in a year. Multiple cars that they don't drive and stuff like that. There is way too much greed in the world, people who make over 100000 a year and somehow aren't satisfied (I make just over 40000 a year and have everything I need).

Even the stuff I have I could easily replace with about 1000$ on Amazon. My wife hoards stuff and I've said if we were out of the house and all the house and crap burned to the ground I'd be a happy man.

Also, I've been reading some Buddhist books like 'The Dhammapada' and I can see the logic of not getting too attached to material things so as not to cling to hard to this world when it comes time to leave.

  • 12.26.2012 5:12 PM PDT

Posted by: Jornn_
Personally, I believe if you're happy you're successful.

  • 12.26.2012 5:13 PM PDT

Posted by: Halfanhour4
Garem somethings starting to make me think your just a big phoney.

How so?

  • 12.26.2012 5:18 PM PDT

Math rules the world.

Successful means that you accomplish your goals whatever they may be. The OPs example is financially successful. Financially successful is making more money. Successful does not mean your better, it means you accomplish more of your goals.

[Edited on 12.26.2012 5:24 PM PST]

  • 12.26.2012 5:22 PM PDT

Posted by: JScientia13
Successful means that you accomplish your goals whatever they may be. The OPs example is financially successful. Financially successful is making more money. Successful does not mean your better, it means you accomplish more of your goals.

Success shouldn't even be measured financially, though.

  • 12.26.2012 5:26 PM PDT

Posted by: AngryBrute1
Oh yeah, since somebody does not believe what YOU believe; that makes us vapid...
I cannot grasp that what you call "Something happened to nothing, and that nothing became something, and it was smaller than than a period."

Posted by: T21095
I think having billions and a professional career signifies success. However, both the billionaire CEO and homeless person could have the same level of happiness.
Exactly, there's a difference between social success (wealth, reputation, etc.) and personal success (finding happiness, having a family, etc.).

  • 12.26.2012 5:28 PM PDT

Math rules the world.

It is not. It can be used to measure finalncial well being just as much as it can be used to measure any other type of acomplishment. When it is not measureing a specific type of acomplishment it is measuring ones ability to accomplish his or her goals. It could just as easily be applied to acedimic success. Meaning that the student acomplished grades and degrees necessary to meet their goals.
Posted by: Garem
Posted by: JScientia13
Successful means that you accomplish your goals whatever they may be. The OPs example is financially successful. Financially successful is making more money. Successful does not mean your better, it means you accomplish more of your goals.

Success shouldn't even be measured financially, though.

  • 12.26.2012 5:29 PM PDT

Posted by: Wikked Navajoe
Posted by: T21095
I think having billions and a professional career signifies success. However, both the billionaire CEO and homeless person could have the same level of happiness.
Exactly, there's a difference between social success (wealth, reputation, etc.) and personal success (finding happiness, having a family, etc.).

If it's going to be differentiated like that, then "social success" shouldn't exist.

  • 12.26.2012 5:29 PM PDT

Math rules the world.

Social success measures your ability to get a society to view you in your desired way. Yet another variation of accomplishing a specific set of goals.
Posted by: Garem
Posted by: Wikked Navajoe
Posted by: T21095
I think having billions and a professional career signifies success. However, both the billionaire CEO and homeless person could have the same level of happiness.
Exactly, there's a difference between social success (wealth, reputation, etc.) and personal success (finding happiness, having a family, etc.).

If it's going to be differentiated like that, then "social success" shouldn't exist.

  • 12.26.2012 5:32 PM PDT

Posted by: JScientia13
Social success measures your ability to get a society to view you in your desired way. Yet another variation of accomplishing a specific set of goals.
Posted by: Garem
Posted by: Wikked Navajoe
Posted by: T21095
I think having billions and a professional career signifies success. However, both the billionaire CEO and homeless person could have the same level of happiness.
Exactly, there's a difference between social success (wealth, reputation, etc.) and personal success (finding happiness, having a family, etc.).

If it's going to be differentiated like that, then "social success" shouldn't exist.

I understand what it is. I'm saying that it shouldn't exist.

  • 12.26.2012 5:33 PM PDT

I hate MLP. It is cancerous and pretty stupid to see men watching a show for girls. They can deny the truth but the truth shall prevail!

"I will not fail even if I must sacrifice my life." - Siegfried

So we should stop using every subjective word now?

  • 12.26.2012 5:34 PM PDT

Posted by: divine thunder14
So we should stop using every subjective word now?

No, we should stop pretending that subjective words are objective.

  • 12.26.2012 5:34 PM PDT

Math rules the world.

I am having trouble following you. Are you saying we should not have a way to measure our ability to accomplish certain goals?
Posted by: Garem
Posted by: JScientia13
Social success measures your ability to get a society to view you in your desired way. Yet another variation of accomplishing a specific set of goals.
Posted by: Garem
Posted by: Wikked Navajoe
Posted by: T21095
I think having billions and a professional career signifies success. However, both the billionaire CEO and homeless person could have the same level of happiness.
Exactly, there's a difference between social success (wealth, reputation, etc.) and personal success (finding happiness, having a family, etc.).

If it's going to be differentiated like that, then "social success" shouldn't exist.

I understand what it is. I'm saying that it shouldn't exist.

  • 12.26.2012 5:35 PM PDT

Please do not send me group invites.

I fail to see how a homeless man could be considered successful...unless it was his goal to become homeless - then yes, he's successful.

  • 12.26.2012 5:35 PM PDT

Posted by: JScientia13
I am having trouble following you. Are you saying we should not have a way to measure our ability to accomplish certain goals?
No, I'm saying that someone's social status or wealth shouldn't matter.

  • 12.26.2012 5:37 PM PDT
  •  | 
  • Exalted Legendary Member


Posted by: Wikked Navajoe
Posted by: T21095
I think having billions and a professional career signifies success. However, both the billionaire CEO and homeless person could have the same level of happiness.
Exactly, there's a difference between social success (wealth, reputation, etc.) and personal success (finding happiness, having a family, etc.).

well put, personally i feel that on your death bed, its the personal happiness that decides how at peace you will be.

  • 12.26.2012 5:40 PM PDT

Math rules the world.

What does that have to do with them accomplishing their goals?

My financial goals are to never need a loan, never have debts and have enough money for what I need plus savings that could cover unexpected expenses.
If a CEOs fiancial goal is to get $10 million per year and they make $9 million but I make $100k. I am more financialy successful that the CEO because I accomplished a higher percentage of my financial goals than the CEO.
Posted by: Garem
Posted by: JScientia13
I am having trouble following you. Are you saying we should not have a way to measure our ability to accomplish certain goals?
No, I'm saying that someone's social status or wealth shouldn't matter.

  • 12.26.2012 5:41 PM PDT

Posted by: JScientia13
What does that have to do with them accomplishing their goals?

My financial goals are to never need a loan, never have debts and have enough money for what I need plus savings that could cover unexpected expenses.
If a CEOs fiancial goal is to get $10 million per year and they make $9 million but I make $100k. I am more financialy successful that the CEO because I accomplished a higher percentage of my financial goals than the CEO.
Posted by: Garem
Posted by: JScientia13
I am having trouble following you. Are you saying we should not have a way to measure our ability to accomplish certain goals?
No, I'm saying that someone's social status or wealth shouldn't matter.

I'm talking about "success" as society views it. People think of a homeless man as unsuccessful in both a financial and a human sense, while the homeless man may be perfectly content.

  • 12.26.2012 5:43 PM PDT

Please do not send me group invites.


Posted by: Garem
Posted by: JScientia13
What does that have to do with them accomplishing their goals?

My financial goals are to never need a loan, never have debts and have enough money for what I need plus savings that could cover unexpected expenses.
If a CEOs fiancial goal is to get $10 million per year and they make $9 million but I make $100k. I am more financialy successful that the CEO because I accomplished a higher percentage of my financial goals than the CEO.
Posted by: Garem
Posted by: JScientia13
I am having trouble following you. Are you saying we should not have a way to measure our ability to accomplish certain goals?
No, I'm saying that someone's social status or wealth shouldn't matter.

I'm talking about "success" as society views it. People think of a homeless man as unsuccessful in both a financial and a human sense, while the homeless man may be perfectly content.
Then I guess we need to define success.

What elements does a homeless man have that you would consider successful?

  • 12.26.2012 5:45 PM PDT

Posted by: MadMax888
Then I guess we need to define success.

What elements does a homeless man have that you would consider successful?

He is a human being. That's all that matters.

  • 12.26.2012 5:46 PM PDT

Math rules the world.

Just because people misuse a word does not mean that it should not exist. Pick any word in the English language, do enough research and you will find an example of it being misused.

As far as societies views go, people as a whole will create some kind of way to value some more and others less. It is a sad fact of this world.
Posted by: Garem
Posted by: JScientia13
What does that have to do with them accomplishing their goals?

My financial goals are to never need a loan, never have debts and have enough money for what I need plus savings that could cover unexpected expenses.
If a CEOs fiancial goal is to get $10 million per year and they make $9 million but I make $100k. I am more financialy successful that the CEO because I accomplished a higher percentage of my financial goals than the CEO.
Posted by: Garem
Posted by: JScientia13
I am having trouble following you. Are you saying we should not have a way to measure our ability to accomplish certain goals?
No, I'm saying that someone's social status or wealth shouldn't matter.

I'm talking about "success" as society views it. People think of a homeless man as unsuccessful in both a financial and a human sense, while the homeless man may be perfectly content.

  • 12.26.2012 5:46 PM PDT

Please do not send me group invites.


Posted by: Garem
Posted by: MadMax888
Then I guess we need to define success.

What elements does a homeless man have that you would consider successful?

He is a human being. That's all that matters.
So, all human beings are successful?

  • 12.26.2012 5:46 PM PDT

Posted by: MadMax888

Posted by: Garem
Posted by: MadMax888
Then I guess we need to define success.

What elements does a homeless man have that you would consider successful?

He is a human being. That's all that matters.
So, all human beings are successful?

Yes. We're all equal on a social level.

  • 12.26.2012 5:47 PM PDT

Please do not send me group invites.


Posted by: Garem
Posted by: MadMax888

Posted by: Garem
Posted by: MadMax888
Then I guess we need to define success.

What elements does a homeless man have that you would consider successful?

He is a human being. That's all that matters.
So, all human beings are successful?

Yes. We're all equal on a social level.
What qualities do broke, high school drop-out druggies have that you would consider successful?

  • 12.26.2012 5:48 PM PDT

Posted by: MadMax888
What qualities do broke, high school drop-out druggies have that you would consider successful?

They are humans. They don't need a vague notion of "success".

  • 12.26.2012 5:49 PM PDT