Happiness’ role in success stands as a
demonstrates that one’s ability to enjoy
highly debated topic in society. As today’s
and posses happiness provides him/her
view of success has turned money-hungry,
with a fuller sense of success when it
more and more people question whether
comes to his/her life and that one must
the true key to success lies with happiness.
possess a feeling of happiness in order to
While seeking to define success, one must
lead a successful life. The study of
consider not only their
happiness’ role in success has grown in the
emotional needs but also
past few years as the search for both in
society’s expectation
today's culture
of a successful
grows. In a review of
person.
over 200 studies in
Abraham
Psychological
Maslow, an American
Bulletin,
psychologist and
psychologists found
creator of “Maslow’s
that the old
Hierarchy of Needs”,
assumption that
established that one
happiness is not a
possesses
byproduct of success,
physiological needs as well as the need for
but success stems from happiness (Matta).
safety, love and belonging, esteem and
Therefore, when assessing the criteria for
self-actualization (“Abraham Maslow”).
success, happiness stands as one of the
Maslow claims that in order to lead a
main points. Some argue that success
fulfilling life, one must reach a level of
comes in a tangible form, through houses,
self-actualization and states that
fancy cars, and large amounts of money.
“self-actualizing people enjoy life in
However, if someone achieves these
general and practically all its aspects,
aspects of life, but feels miserable, can
while most other people enjoy only stray
he/she still quantify him/herself as
moments of triumph” (Maslow). This
successful?
Society's view of a successful person can also alter and change one’s definition of success. Even if someone seeks success by pursuing happiness, society may not see him/her in that light. Society’s materialistic views can alter and shape one's definition of success. In today’s standards, in order to appear successful, one often must have a big house, nice car, and the latest technology. In fact, one in five Americans correlate success with monetary wealth (Smith). This proves the role that wealth takes on when it comes to success in today's standards. Additionally, society stands as one of the main influences of an individual's character, so it may seem impossible to feel entirely successful through only happiness without the recognition through society’s standards. Given these points, the definition of success does not only follow one direction. It does not possess a concrete definition, since it depends on each person’s belief.
Therefore, when seeking success, one must recognize the importance of emotional needs as well as societal standards. Although happiness does not stand as the only key to success, it does play a substantial role in one’s ability to feel fulfillment in their life.
Shawn Achor, a positive psychology
the inaccuracy of society’s perception that
expert and bestselling author with his book
the harder one works, they will have more
The Happiness Advantage, has studied the
success, and then achieve happiness. Rather,
relationship between happiness and success
he claims happiness fuels success (Caprino).
and has worked with many individuals and
His findings begin to shape society’s new
groups to find the link between happiness
path to success as well as changing people's
and a successful life (Hickey). He received
attitudes overall, as he emphasizes that
various teaching awards through Harvard
people establish more success when starting
University and lectures there as well about
with a positive attitude rather than “waiting
positive psychology (Caprino). Additionally,
for future success” (Caprino). This
he holds the position of CEO at Good Think
demonstrates that those who work in a
Inc., a company that researches those stand
manner of happiness establish success faster
above average when it comes to positivity to
than those who wait for it to come to them.
determine where success and happiness
Happiness does not only strengthen one’s
come together (Caprino). Through his
mental state, but also fuels success in the
experience at Harvard and extensive
workplace. He claims “sales improve 37%
research, he finds that happiness leads to
cross-industry, productivity by 31%, you're
success in one's personal life as well as
40% more likely to receive a promotion,
one’s career. He refers to this as the
nearly 10 times more engaged at work, live
“happiness advantage”, claiming that
longer, get better grades, your symptoms are
leading a happy life can “be the difference
less acute, and much more” (Caprino).
between leading a fulfilling, joyful, and
Shawn now shares his knowledge by
successful life and living far beneath our full
teaching and lecturing at several
potential” (Caprino).
organizations to establish how one can
Through his research on happiness and how it affects one’s life, he has found
“reprogram” his/her brain in five easy steps (see next page).
Shawn Achor’s Five Easy Steps to a Successful, Happy, and Rewarding Life 1. Establish a grateful mindset - Write down a list of things that you are grateful for everyday 2. Journal - Document daily positive experiences for two minutes 3. Exercise - Establish a routine of 15 minutes of cardio activity 4. Meditate - Find at least 2 minutes of free time each day to relax 5. Engage in random acts of kindness - write someone a kind note, help someone out around the house, or give someone a compliment
Following these steps for just 21 days can create a lasting change in your mindset and lead you on a path to positivity and success! Overall, Achor seeks to increase understanding about how to “increase happiness and meaning, raise success rates and profitability, and create positive transformations that ripple into more successful cultures” (Caprino).
When searching for someone to
Nova Klein: How would you define success
interview about success, many people came to mind, especially my mom, Joanne Draus Klein. She has achieved many
Joanne Draus Klein: Reaching the outcome that you hoped you’d reach in terms of making you ultimately happy. It doesn't have to be in terms of money or
successes in her life, both professionally and personally. These include working at
career, it just has to be with meeting the potential
Scene Magazine and Sun Newspapers,
that you think you had to make yourself happy.
which lead to meeting many people,
NK: Do you agree that happiness plays a big role in
including her idol, Elton John, attending
achieving success?
various events, such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame grand opening, guest hosting
JDK: A huge role! Because finding financial success or
a local tv show, and one of the biggest
professional success or any other success is
challenges, having and raising triplets.
worthless if you're not happy. Happiness is the
We sat down to discuss the
ultimate goal of success if you're honest with
definition of success, its connection with
yourself.
happiness, and how it has played a role in
NK: What event in your life do you feel fits the
her life.
connection between success and happiness the best? JDK: Raising three great triplets.
NK: What would you consider your biggest success in life? JDK: Having and raising three great triplets.
NK: Does happiness play into that success and how? JDK: Well, nothing could make me happier than my three great triplets despite the fact that I loved my career so much that I
From this, happiness clearly stands
put off having them. But, once I did, the happiness I
as a key factor in success. Klein
found in the success of raising them superseded
emphasizes that success does not always
whatever happiness I had from my career. NK: What is something you would like to do in order
equate to financial and professional achievements, rather the events in life that provide a sense of happiness. She
to feel more successful in life that you haven't done
notes the lack of worth other feeling of
already?
happiness does not appear, and that
JDK: Master my own emotions.
society can establish the connection between happiness and success if they view their life honestly and set the societal
standards behind them. Additionally, she
establishes the importance of connecting
with one’s emotions as it leads to greater
personal understanding, a positive
mindset, and therefore, a stronger sense of
success.
She hopes that from this interview,
society will gain a better understanding of
the importance of happiness in the search
for success, and therefore, will possess less
stress when striving for success.
Dear Editor,
60% of people in a national poll stated
that success means “loving what you do for a living” (Smith). Despite this, another poll found 64% of older Americans talk about making as much money as possible when it comes for job choice (White). In the past, many of your articles have established the importance of happiness in one’s vision of success, but given these statistics, I believe this idea should get expressed in the aspect of one’s career path. Many people choose their career because of salary and end up unhappy because they truly do not enjoy with their work. People in the medical field often fit this mold. The Bureau of Labor Statistics illustrates that medical professions make up most of the top 20 highest-paying occupations (“Highest Paying Occupations”). Despite this, “many doctors say...they’re unhappy” (Tuttle and Davidson). This proves that money does not equate to happiness, and asserts that unhappy workers cannot truly feel successful. Additionally, young adults seeking a career path should realize that top paying careers do not always end up fitting the person's interests or wants. For
example, studies have shown than 40% of doctors would choose a different career if they got a chance to start over (Tuttle and Davidson). This demonstrates that when people choose to seek success in a manner that would make them wealthy, they often do not feel a sense of fulfillment and often become unhappy with their jobs. Focusing on wealth and fame when it comes to success sets high expectations that many cannot reach, making them feel unfulfilled especially when it comes to their career. Dictionaries even define success as “the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence" (Merriam-Webster). Given this, society must establish the idea that success comes from happiness in order to make the world a more fulfilling and enjoyable place, especially in the workforce. Although we cannot ask those who feel unhappy with their career to change in order to fulfill this definition of success, we can order teenagers and young adults on the path to choose a career to have more awareness when it comes to their own interests and not follow the path that they feel required to take. Additionally, we can persuade companies to make their
environment friendlier and promote happiness. By not including this in future articles, people will continue to hold many opinions that could harm their personal life by depriving them of a truly successful life. I hope you realize the importance this holds in the future of the upcoming generations and incorporate this idea to make the workplace a better and more productive
Dear Nova, As a high school senior, I struggle with finding my path. Although I really have an interest in the arts, I know the difficulty that comes when trying to make a living off of a job in that area. Because of this, I feel a lot of pressure to go to college to get a high degree so I can hold a prestigious job like a doctor or lawyer, especially because both my parents work in the medical field. I do not believe that society has enough respect towards those who choose a more creative job rather than a STEM job. Therefore, I’m worried that if I do go towards the higher level career path, I will regret it in the future. So that’s where my question lies: should I go to college to pursue the career path that would bring me wealth, or should I do what I love? Signed, Concerned Collegiate Dear Concerned Collegiate, Finding the path for you can bring many difficulties. Ultimately, the decision is yours, but I have some points for you to consider. In my eyes, success can define as the ability for one to live life in a manner that brings them happiness. Many positive implications come forth if you pursue a career based on your interests. For example, you have a greater chance at excelling due to factors like optimistic approaches and greater productivity (De Neve and Oswald). Those who work in an environment that makes them happy tend to perform about 12% more productively, leading to higher salaries (De Neve and Oswald). Additionally, surveys have shown that millennials possess greater want for happiness than wealth when it comes to their career. Therefore, you should not feel alone if you choose to follow your heart. In fact, one study found that those 25-35 years old would “give up and average of $7,600 in pay” for a better career environment
(Malcolm). This establishes the importance of happiness when it comes to career success. Although receiving a high salary seems ideal for many, a correlation between high salary jobs and stress exists. You mentioned that you feel high pressure to go into the medical field, however, I want to point out that the manifestation of stress currently plagues the medical profession. A study found that 29.6% of medical professionals demonstrated a high level of emotional exhaustion, and even 17.9% felt low personal accomplishment (Khanna). This demonstrates that high pay does not always equate to a feeling of accomplishment. Therefore, if happiness seems important to you, a profession like this may not equate to the best option. In the end, many factors play into your decision. I hope these points help you weigh out your options, and I wish you good luck.
Nova
WORKS CITED "Abraham Maslow." The Pursuit of Happiness, Pursuit of Happiness, www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/ history-of-happiness/abraham-maslow/. Accessed 16 Apr. 2018. Caprino, Kathy. "How Happiness Directly Impacts Your Success." Forbes, 6 June 2013, www.forbes.com/ sites/kathycaprino/2013/06/06/how-happiness-directly-impacts-your-success/#7c53a794618b. Accessed 17 Apr. 2018. De Neve, Jan-Emmanuel, and Andrew J. Oswald. "Estimating the Influence of Life Satisfaction and Positive Affect on Later Income Using Sibling Fixed Effects." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 109, 19 Nov. 2012, www.pnas.org/ content/109/49/19953/tab-article-info. Accessed 23 Mar. 2018. Hickey, Kasey. "Is Happiness the Key to Success?" BetterUp, www.betterup.co/ is-happiness-the-key-to-success/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2018. "Highest Paying Occupations." Bureau of Labor Statistics, 24 Oct. 2017, www.bls.gov/ooh/ highest-paying.htm. Accessed 16 Mar. 2018. Khanna, Rajeev, and Rashmi Khanna. “Is Medicine Turning into Unhappy Profession?” Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 17.1 (2013): 2–6. PMC. Web. 16 Apr. 2018.
Malcolm, Hadley. "Millennials Will Take a Happier Workplace over Better Pay." USA Today, 14 Apr. 2016, www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2016/04/14/ millennials-workplace-happy-salary-pay/82943186/. Accessed 10 Apr. 2018. Maslow, Abraham. Toward a Psychology of Being. 3rd ed., John Wiley & Sons, 1999. Matta, Christy. "Does Success Lead to Happiness?" Psych Central, psychcentral.com/blog/ does-success-lead-to-happiness/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2018. Smith, Jaquelyne. "This Is How Americans Define Success." Business Insider, 3 Oct. 2014, www.businessinsider.com/how-americans-now-define-success-2014-10. Accessed 22 Mar. 2018. "Success." Merriam-Webster. Tuttle, Brad, and Jacob Davidson. "5 High-Paying Jobs That Will Make You Miserable." Time, 9 Sept. 2014, time.com/money/3304389/jobs-career-unhappy/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2018. White, Gillian B. "Millennials in Search of a Different Kind of Career." The Atlantic, 12 June 2018,
www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/06/millennials-job-search-career-boomers/395663/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2018.
As a junior at Chagrin Falls High School, I have worked towards success in my school’s band program as well as other school aspects. In my eyes, success represents one's ability to go through life in a manner that brings happiness. To begin, my participation in band stands as one of my biggest successes. For the past five years, I have competed in Solo and Ensemble, a judged event in which a soloist or an ensemble performs. Each year, my ensemble received the highest rating. I believe this stems from my enjoyment of it. While working in an ensemble, I got to work with some of my close friends. I believe our success came because of our close relationship and the fun we had working together. Hence, I believe that in order to succeed, one must feel a level of happiness and enjoyment. Additionally, when I got asked to participate in jazz band last year, I faced a challenge: learn a new instrument. Despite this challenge, I felt successful because I enjoyed the experience. This demonstrates that happiness stands as a leading factor to success. Overall, I succeeded in the group because I felt happy when performing, not because I felt obligated to participate. My idea of success also ties into my schoolwork. I believe succeeding in school does not only tie to grades, but the overall experience. For example, I feel successful in school because I feel happy with my accomplishments and I can maintain good grades because I take classes that I enjoy. This motivates me to work hard because I learn about material that interests me. Additionally, by taking classes I enjoy, I can avoid overwhelming myself by not pursuing a workload of material I do not have an interest in. In addition to academics, I feel successful because of extracurriculars. By participating in various different clubs, I feel well-rounded and involved, which leads to success and fulfillment. One of the clubs that I feel demonstrates the relationship between success and happiness is Connect. While participating in a club that creates relationships between students with special needs and others around the high school, I feel rewarded and successful after each meeting by seeing the impact our actions have on the students. For example, after having a cookie decorating party, I felt rewarded because it brought so much joy to the students. This illustrates that success does not appear in a tangible manner, but comes with one's perception of happiness. Altogether, I write to those seeking success to demonstrate the correlation between happiness and success. When one can find a way to bring happiness into his/her life, success will come. Therefore, success comes from one’s self, not the manufactured definition of fame and fortune.