This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Why aren't some people successful?

It might seem like an obvious answer but why do many people never achieve 'success' in their lives? why do people spend 40 years in the same Job and never challenge for promotion? why do some people spend their whole lives in a job that they hate? why don't they find another job or re-train at night college? what's stopping them?

I know that one persons idea of success may be completely different from another persons but when you consider the potential that the majority of humans have, why isn't it always realized?

Reply 1

sdt

12

Absolutely nothing is stopping most people but not everyone has the drive to succeed. Some people are very comfortable doing what they have been doing for a while. I know many things I could probably do for 40 years straight. Although all of those things happen to be rather active chemicals :rolleyes:

Reply 2

Senator John McCain

libertine861

It might seem like an obvious answer but why do many people never achieve 'success' in their lives? why do people spend 40 years in the same Job and never challenge for promotion? why do some people spend their whole lives in a job that they hate? why don't they find another job or re-train at night college? what's stopping them?

I know that one persons idea of success may be completely different from another persons but when you consider the potential that the majority of humans have, why isn't it always realized?

oh dear

Reply 3

libertine861

OP

2

sdt

Absolutely nothing is stopping most people but not everyone has the drive to succeed.

but why don't they have the drive to succeed? do you think it is something that can be acquired or do you think some people just have the drive and others don't, and never will? do you think there is anything wrong in not having the drive to succeed?

Reply 4

libertine861

OP

2

Senator John McCain

oh dear

I'm curious.

Reply 5

Fusion

20

People chase happiness

Reply 6

kevtp

8

Everything you mentioned was success through a career. For some people, a career is nothing but a way to earn a living, they don't bother to do their very best.
Everyone, who are in the tiniest bit privileged, will have different goals in life. Raising a family, finding your soul mate or even having fun with friends could be deemed a success in people's eyes.
A career isn't everything in life.. though it does play a big part :s-smilie:

Reply 7

libertine861

OP

2

loafer

we cant all be good at something

I agree and disagree with that statement-if that's even possible. If you consider success in terms of being a millionaire or even a billionaire, then I agree that not everybody can be one as there are always going to be jobs that need to be filled, and ones which don't have huge salaries.

That said though, I think we can all be good at something, even if that's just sweeping the streets. Martin Luther King said: 'If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'

I don't think there is anything wrong with being a sweet streeper, it's an important job and someone has to do it. If no one did it, we would probably be plauged with rodents and disease. I'm just curious as to why some people spend their whole lives in jobs which aren't that well paid or that have no prospects. If it's something they really enjoy, I can understand it, as money isn't necessarily everything. It's important but happiness is important too.

I'm just thinking about the people who hate their jobs or just spend years in the same one because they think they can't do any better. Or even if you take it out of a job context and think of people who are good writers or good poets but never get their work published?

Reply 8

L i b

19

libertine861

It might seem like an obvious answer but why do many people never achieve 'success' in their lives? why do people spend 40 years in the same Job and never challenge for promotion? why do some people spend their whole lives in a job that they hate? why don't they find another job or re-train at night college? what's stopping them?

Just because you moan about your job doesn't mean that you think it particularly important in the grand scheme of things. So far as I see, grand ambitions are usually what rob you of happiness rather than create it. Then again, that might just be me.

Reply 9

Fusion

20

L i b

Just because you moan about your job doesn't mean that you think it particularly important in the grand scheme of things. So far as I see, grand ambitions are usually what rob you of happiness rather than create it. Then again, that might just be me.

Good point

Reply 10

L i b

19

Fusion

People chase happiness

Do they? Whenever I've strived too much to find happiness, I've usually found it eludes me rather more than when I simply try to find it in what I already have.

I learned this lesson quite early on in my life. Perhaps others take longer, but I hope they eventually come across it.

Ultimately I believe most people find a sort of peace with themselves.

Reply 11

libertine861

OP

2

kevtp

Everything you mentioned was success through a career. For some people, a career is nothing but a way to earn a living, they don't bother to do their very best.
Everyone, who are in the tiniest bit privileged, will have different goals in life. Raising a family, finding your soul mate or even having fun with friends could be deemed a success in people's eyes.
A career isn't everything in life.. though it does play a big part :s-smilie:

I read once that we spend two thirds of our lives in our Job (or something like that) and if it's a job that somebody hates or is just doing it for the sake of it, then surely there must be a better alternative? or not? I don't know. That's why I made the thread.

Reply 12

Howard

5

Luck comes into it a little bit - right place at the right time and all that. Connections too - who do you know? Do you play golf? Who with?

I've never been sucessful myself. (I've done OK but not nearly as well as I should have) I've slogged my balls off all my life but never really got very far. One reason I suspect is that I simply don't suck enough dicks at work. :biggrin:

Reply 13

libertine861

OP

2

L i b

Just because you moan about your job doesn't mean that you think it particularly important in the grand scheme of things. So far as I see, grand ambitions are usually what rob you of happiness rather than create it. Then again, that might just be me.

why would they rob you of happiness? obviously it's no good to live in a dream world but it's important to set goals and if you set yourself low targets, then you are only going to hit low targets.

Reply 14

libertine861

OP

2

Howard

Luck comes into it a little bit - right place at the right time and all that. Connections too - who do you know? Do you play golf? Who with?

I've never been sucessful myself. (I've done OK but not nearly as well as I should have) I've slogged my balls off all my life but never really got very far. One reason I suspect is that I simply don't suck enough dicks at work. :biggrin:

I think luck can be a contributing factor but when you read about some entrepeneurs and various successful people, it isn't always down to luck. Many of them work hard and create their own destiny. It wasn't always handed to them on a plate and not all of them came from priviledged backgrounds.

Reply 15

L i b

19

libertine861

why would they rob you of happiness? obviously it's no good to live in a dream world but it's important to set goals and if you set yourself low targets, then you are only going to hit low targets.

Well, I don't have any pretensions to be some sort of oracle of wisdom, it's just my experience. I don't have any particular grand ambitions; I expect to be fairly comfortable financially and that's about it. I am content with what I have generally, and feel I'm rather better served by searching for happiness within that.

Reply 16

Jake22

18

libertine861

It might seem like an obvious answer but why do many people never achieve 'success' in their lives? why do people spend 40 years in the same Job and never challenge for promotion? why do some people spend their whole lives in a job that they hate? why don't they find another job or re-train at night college? what's stopping them?

I know that one persons idea of success may be completely different from another persons but when you consider the potential that the majority of humans have, why isn't it always realized?

You answered it yourself. Many people don't seek status in work or money. Many treat work as a means to an end and care more about family and friends and are more worried about success in that regard. Not everyone is a competitive 18 year old being pushed down the a-levels -> gap year -> uni -> banker/lawyer/doctor/accountant cliche.

Reply 17

Too Drunk

1

They might not want to be "succesfull". Being promoted and ordering my underlings(who were formaly my friends about) horrifys me.

What is succes anyway? Someone who hasn't ever been promoted or even had a job could still be a sucess in other ways.

Reply 18

libertine861

OP

2

L i b

Well, I don't have any pretensions to be some sort of oracle of wisdom, it's just my experience. I don't have any particular grand ambitions; I expect to be fairly comfortable financially and that's about it. I am content with what I have generally, and feel I'm rather better served by searching for happiness within that.

what are your goals in life? you mention being financially comfortable...what if you were in a position at say, the age of 30, and you were financially comfortable. Would you be happy to maintain the status quo for the rest of your life or would you be tempted to strive for more? Do you think as you achieve one or more goals, new opportunities/goals will present themselves to you?

Reply 19

libertine861

OP

2

Jake22

You answered it yourself. Many people don't seek status in work or money. Many treat work as a means to an end and care more about family and friends and are more worried about success in that regard. Not everyone is a competitive 18 year old being pushed down the a-levels -> gap year -> uni -> banker/lawyer/doctor/accountant cliche.

I don't necessarily think that you have to be in one of the traditional professions to be a success, you could be a successful plumber or a successful car booter even. I'm just curious as to what people's definition of success is and why some people are more driven than others, and what makes them tick.

Why aren't some people successful?

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you