What is Success?

Ok, not a thought on software. But this is a thought on life. I've been trolling my usual websites and came across an interesting article on a man who dumbed himself down to get a job (left his Master's Degree of his resume, and pretended to be fratboy-ish during the interview to relate to the interviewer). Wait, about fratboy-ish - I was in a frat in college, so I can say that.

Well he succeeded and landed the job. Surprise surprise, he was way overqualified and it drove him crazy. This led to a discussion on how to be successful, which begs the question: what is success?

This can't be a new topic. Have people my age given this much thought? Are our only connotations of success those of our previous generation's, that being a good job at a good company with a good family and a good home? And yes, I can see the argument that those criteria equals success - but what does "good" mean?

It's different strokes for different folks. A "good" job for someone else is torture for another. It's entirely subjective. I grew up in middle-class Long Island in the late 80s and 90s. There were big shiny office buildings everywhere. I grew up with the notion that to be a success in life was to have those things - the job in the shiny office building, an abundant income, and some material luxuries to illustrate the point.

Now, however, my idea of success is much different. The only commonality about success is that it's different for everyone. Every person (yes, every person) is different, and every person's goals are different. Therefore, the definitions of success are different for everybody.

Furthermore, I don't think success has anything to do with what surrounds you, what job you have, how your house looks, etc. For whichever job you want to have, or however you want it to look, accomplishing those things doesn't mean you are a success.

I believe success (ha! And based on what I just said, this could only apply to me) is being something. Not just anything - but being who you are. I believe that success is accomplishing whatever you came here (here = planet Earth; yes, I believe in that stuff) to accomplish.

For me, this has been the greatest challenge of my life so far (besides Statisics at UAlbany). Having spent much of my early teens and on altering how I acted to fit in, so much so that I completely lost myself, the challenge has been reversing course and peeling away the misconceptions that I picked up along the way. It's simple and it's not at the same time. I suppose it's as hard as I want to make it.

And previously I had thought that everyone's success is along this vein - about being one's self. Then I realized, that by my definition of success, that it's different for everyone and this may be my particular success, not anyone else's. It also helps to realize once in a while, and it feels really freeing, that in general, that I know absolutely nothing :) (and neither do you)