What is Success?

What is success? What does it mean to be successful or unsuccessful? Why do we strive for success? How can I determine if the person I am observing or emulating is successful? Let's delve into these questions. Firstly, why am I pondering success? For me, the meaning of success was clear; it was synonymous with happiness. To be successful is to be happy. But how do I know what will make me happy? By observing and listening to others, they suggest that money and wealth are primary or secondary criteria for happiness and success. Additionally, a good family, a loving partner, and a comfortable home are said to contribute to happiness. Thus, I concluded that I need money to be happy, equating money with success. Let's accept for a moment that money is our common definition of success. Let's set aside moral values and observe things as they are, rather than clinging to beliefs. We work hard to earn money, which some, guided by their moral values, might refer to as stability, power in society, growth, position, knowledge, etc. In essence, they all point to the same goal. Following the advice of others, I worked hard to achieve these goals, but upon attaining them, I found they did not fulfill me or make me as happy as I was led to believe. Have you ever experienced this? It makes me wonder what truly brings happiness. Is it achieving what others have prescribed, or is there an underlying sadness because the achievement was not as satisfying as I once imagined?

If the true purpose of success is happiness, and if one does not find happiness in the things others prescribe, then what should one do? Should one trust others and accept things as they are, trying to enjoy them even if the pleasure is fleeting? The transience of joy and happiness is indeed disheartening. Each moment of happiness carries the inherent sadness that it will not last forever. Even the wealthiest person, who can indulge in every pleasure, must face the inevitable end that comes with death. Death is an undeniable truth, and often, we choose to ignore this reality as we go about our ordinary lives.

If death is inevitable, how can one find happiness or success? One might pretend to be the happiest person in the world by disregarding this fact, believing life will not end, and thus should be enjoyed while striving for success. However, this isn't truly success, is it? It's merely a facade. It's an illusory trap we fall into because, in every moment spent working hard or aspiring to be happy and successful, we lose the very moment that could have brought us happiness.

What actions should one take to achieve genuine success and happiness? Success, as perceived by others, often appears illusory. This raises further questions: Why do we pursue success? Is happiness essential? Is it truly vital for us? To address this, we must first comprehend what happiness is. It appears to be a sensation of well-being, doesn't it? How does this feeling emerge? Biologically and scientifically speaking, it is primarily due to neurotransmitters such as dopamine (associated with pleasure), serotonin (associated with well-being), endorphins (linked to euphoria), and oxytocin (related to bonding). For instance, dopamine, also known as the feel-good chemical, is released during pleasurable moments. Thus, it's not the pleasure that makes us feel good; it's the chemicals in our brain that create the sensation of happiness. In other words, is our definition of success akin to the release of these chemicals in our brain? This implies we should engage in activities that trigger the release of these chemicals. What might these activities be? For some, it could be playing sports and winning a match, or hitting a powerful golf shot and watching the ball soar through the sky. For others, it might be receiving a job promotion, achieving top grades as a student, acquiring more knowledge as researchers and professors, making a profit as a businessman, enjoying certain foods, or spending time with family. And the simplest yet effective method, as seen in smokers, alcoholics, or drug addicts, is engaging in behaviors that release these chemicals.

Viewed from a different perspective, all these individuals are addicted to certain activities merely for the release of that chemical, making them slaves to these pursuits. What, then, is the essence of addiction? Is someone an addict if they experience pleasure, that sense of well-being, for the first time in their life? Not necessarily, because addiction involves repeatedly engaging in an activity, and that person is either trying it for the first time or has not yet done so. So, why would a person want to repeat this activity? The actions we undertake stem from the desire to re-experience that initial pleasure, which is etched in our memories. Thus, we repeat these actions to relive the same experience, and life continues in a sinusoidal pattern, with peaks of success, flat lines of neutrality, and troughs of lows.

Having discussed what happiness and success mean for most of us, we now turn to the question: why do we need them in our lives? Is it so essential that we cannot survive without them, or would our lives come to an end? We can indeed survive without them; they are not necessary. Remember, we can always choose to remain in a state of zero, devoid of any desire for pleasure, thus experiencing neither happiness nor sadness. This is the life of a saint, a peaceful way to live. To sacrifice all your desires, dreams, etc., and simply enjoy life as it is, like water, which has no taste of its own, is neutral and very pleasant to drink. However, what if someone decides to add something to it, like sugar to a cup of water to sweeten it? It may taste nice, but it will eventually harm one's health, unlike a cup of neutral water. Thus, the question of whether we need happiness is akin to asking whether we need to add sugar to a cup of tea ?

What should one do, then? Is tasting success bad? It's not success that's bad; it's the desire for success that's harmful. The craving for pleasure leads to addiction, not the pleasure itself. Similarly, the desire for success is what causes our so-called happiness and sadness. They are two sides of the same coin, and as you act to fulfill that desire, akin to tossing a coin, you may sometimes get heads, or success, and other times tails, or failure. For instance, I have a desire to be the top student in my class because I find happiness in that, as we've discussed, and thus it becomes my definition of success, right? So now, I take action; I work hard for it. I practice and review every question that could appear on the exam to be fully prepared. Now consider, even if I am fully prepared, when I sit in the exam hall ready to solve all the questions, what are my chances of being unsuccessful? Rationally and logically, the chances of failure are greater than success because there are countless reasons I might not reach the exam hall, like a punctured tire, falling ill on the day of the exam, or having an accident. The probability of success is slim, even though I can answer every question on the exam paper. Yet, my only desire is for success. This intense craving for success is the root cause of our addiction to many things, as we discussed. If I fail, I won't stop; I'll keep trying until I succeed. And if I do experience success, I won't stop either because the joy of success is fleeting, and as it ends, I must strive to recapture that moment. It's like being stuck in a swamp; the more one struggles, the deeper one sinks into this never-ending illusion of happiness.

Is it truly simple to have no desires at all? It seems not, as a person's desires persist until the very last moments of life, an internal phenomenon over which we seem to have no control. So, what should one do? One should ponder whether the object of desire will indeed bring happiness. If the answer is yes, then that defines happiness for you, and there's no need to read further. From my experience and observations, people don't realize the truth of what I'm about to write until they obtain what they believe will make them happy. Even if they agree, they can't truly feel or understand it until then. A week ago, I went trekking with a group. Our goal was to reach the mountain's peak in a set time and then descend after lunch. However, my group only made it to what I believe was the second-highest peak. Some were disappointed at not reaching the highest point, but as I ate my lunch, enjoying the view from our peak, I felt content. Those who were unhappy and fixated on the higher peak missed out on the joy of the present moment. Other trekkers descending from the highest peak mentioned that the view was not much different; one sees the same mountains and sky from both vantage points.

Ultimately, it all boils down to being content with what one possesses. It's not about refraining from action and staying in bed, but rather finding satisfaction in what one has. This means maintaining a state of mental inaction—free from desires—while allowing the body to carry out necessary actions for survival; these are two distinct concepts. Upon close examination, one may observe that those who appear to be at the pinnacle of success are often more unhappy and deeply mired in a quagmire of delusion. For instance, in trekking, those who reach the highest peak must descend a greater distance than our group. Furthermore, to achieve the same level of happiness on subsequent treks, they must aim for even higher peaks. True happiness, therefore, is derived from satisfaction, for it is only when one is content that they can fully enjoy every moment of life. When a person is content with what they have, they can truly appreciate it. Otherwise, the mind becomes ensnared by desires and the dichotomy of success and failure, causing one to lose precious moments gradually until death ensues.