Are you Successfully Unhappy and Unwise?

Websters dictionary defines success as  1. The favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors. 2. The attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like. 

I think it’s amazing that the words “happy” or “happiness” or “joy” are not included in the definition of the word “success.” 

Equally perplexing is that the attainment of further wisdom is also not mentioned.

Is success JUST achieving the goal, finishing a task?  Is it JUST a number in the bank account or a title behind your name? (Which by the way don’t confuse Title with wisdom or meaning)

Is it only in relation to others…susceptible to judgement of MORE or HIGHER than those around you?

Is it all outward metrics based on “wealth, position, honors,” and title?  Or is there an inner success that is more worthwhile of pursuit?

What about the experiences and the excitement and pleasure of the journey?  What about the character building and the life lessons learned along the way?

What about attaining wisdom and balance?

Here is the cold hard truth.  That joyful, euphoric feeling when you reach your “goal” is temporary.  Once that moment is over – YOU are still with you. 

Success doesn’t make you wise, it doesn’t make you happy, it doesn’t (in and of itself) make any long-lasting difference in your life.

If you are unhappy, if your health is suffering, if your relationships didn’t survive or are hanging by a thread, if you have gained no further wisdom – is this success? 

If someone achieves what society deems “success” by accident or through a social media explosion, or being in the right place at the right time, does that make them any wiser?  Would people seek out their counsel?  Would they be at peace with their thoughts and have balance in their life? 

This is what we deem “successfully unhappy and unwise”.  Those people that seemingly have-it-all.  The nice house, the fancy cars, the vacations and time freedom, industry accolades, what society has deemed “successful”.  Oftentimes others DO see them as wise…but mere knowledge and material success does not afford them wisdom.

Wisdom is what makes you successful in life.  Wisdom should be the ultimate ‘goal’ that we strive for each and every day.

In today’s world we have tech and data right at our fingertips, and this often can seduce us into believing that we have true wisdom.  But the reality is that true wisdom requires critical thought.  And in our information society critical thought is scarce. 

We have a vast amount of knowledge but knowledge is simply knowing and seeing things as they are or were.  Data alone does not provide all that we need.  Science, experiments, history, metrics and the like need to be intersected with philosophy and critical thought.

THAT is when wisdom starts to emerge.  That intersection of contemplating the why, the purpose and the meaning behind, around and in front of the data provides a foundation for true wisdom…and ultimately success.

Knowledge often masquerades as wisdom but actually can produce more ignorance and less understanding.  Mistaking knowledge, book “smarts”, a technical mind, “street” smarts and the like as wisdom is not just a modern-day phenomenon.  However, with the rise of the internet and social media, where information sharing is instantaneous, it has given the less wise a larger platform to stand on and shout their lore to the world.

Mistaking the verbose and outspoken personalities on (and off) line as wise and successful is an unwise practice.  It is an ever-changing landscape of opinions, perspectives, and data that is often times here today and gone tomorrow. 

Very few of the “quotes” that are seen as wise today will stand the test of time like the thoughts and works of great thinkers in decades past.  A few do emerge, a few will survive, there are wise-ones walking the Earth with us and their words, actions and success will stand the test of time.  

So how do we seek true wisdom and thereby have true success?

First and foremost, we need to slow down.  When we take in data (from any source – written, heard, experiences, etc.) too quickly it can impair our critical thought process.  We often jump to conclusions and settle for what is there on the surface – what IS instead of what COULD BE. 

We should always be looking for ways to deepen, broaden, increase, and improve our knowledge and experiences so we have a foundation and a vast amount of information to pull from as we partake in critical thought.

Because critical thought is about attaining conceptual clarity.  Understanding the why, the purpose and the meaning of the information and data.  Looking at the now as well as what it will mean going forward, what impact the knowledge, thoughts or actions will have in the future.

So, along with the data input, it is vital to further investigate and research all aspects of the data.  Do your own evaluation and contemplation and hold it up to the light of your values and ethics.  Look at it from a philosophical point of view – what COULD be rather than simply what IS.

Don’t stifle innovation, creativity and uniqueness by taking data as truth.  Consider the opposite side and the parallel sides. 

Make the effort and take the time because true success is not only achieving your dreams, goals, and aspirations.  It is not JUST enjoying the journey that takes you there.  It is not JUST gaining knowledge and data but rather devouring it and absorbing and contemplating that knowledge to find true wisdom.

When you enjoy and relish each small success along the way.  When you find the depth and the meaning behind the data and the experiences you have you will not only have a better appreciation of what you achieved and the obstacles you overcame, but you will have the character, the wisdom, and the joy that truly makes success worth striving for.

If you want to dive in and do more critical thinking on the concept of critical thinking for the attainment of true wisdom, here is a website that you may enjoy:  CriticalThinking.org

Happy Thinking!