trentonlf: Life is what you make of it.
Nirth: This is such a lie. Do you mean that people who suffer due to their environment are the creators of their misfortune? Success and happiness is by far a greater illusion than pain and suffering ever is. The best part about success is that it breeds arrogance.
My favourite attitude coming from successful, happy (lucky) people saying "
if you believe in yourself and work hard everything works out.." My answer is this scene:
All it takes is a little push... Define success please. And I do hope you don't relate success with fortune. These days everyone thinks that making 1 million dollars, having multiple partners to have sex with, having the latest Apple products is being successful. I know a lot of homeless people in my town that consider themselves happy with their situation. Some of them say that they do enjoy their life to the fullest. And off course your environment plays a big role but if you look at today's richest people (if you conciser success = fame = fortune) then you'll see that most of them started from zero. And since I don't believe in luck, God or any higher power, then you are the only one who has to believe in yourself. Sitting around and waiting for a push is lying to yourself.
To me success is being happy with what you have and what you do with your life. And I think I am pretty successful, although no one knows me and don't have millions and take the bus/bike to get around, I do have a nice and warm house, have access to hygiene product, can provide myself with nice meal 3 times a day, and have a loving family.
Most people these day look at Hollywood actors and famous people especially most Americans that are obsessed by them and want to achieve that level of success. But why always look at the 1% extreme success and not looking at the other 99%?
One very interesting point during my philosophy course was the interaction between Alexander the Great and Diogenes. And it goes something like this: Once, while Diogenes was sitting in the sun, Alexander the Great was standing by, and said to him, "Ask any favor you choose of me." And Diogenes replied, "Cease to shade me from the sun."
And I'm sorry but unless you are homeless, have cancer but no money to cure yourself or are dying because of hunger then you don't know how hard life is. There are billion other people who want to stand in our shoes and consider us naggers for not being happy with not worrying about basic human needs like food and warm cloths.