Poll: Success or Contentment?

[ICantBelieveItGoesBoom]

This topic just came into mind when I read the comments on the video for Handlebars by Flobots and saw this comment describing what the song's about:

You essentially have two paths in life: the path to success or the path to contentment. The song depicts the positives to both - as well as the negatives. With a life of modest contentment, although it lacks glamor and appeal, you enjoy life for life itself, love and peace reign as your rewards. With a life based around success, you gain riches and have multitudes of positive accomplishments. However, you become distant from your morals, innocence, and love for humanity.

The ultimate dilemma

So I began wondering which path I would go down and I honestly can't choose.

So what do the Escapists think of this idea?

EDIT: Here's the video for anyone that's interested.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

That's funny, I always thought the "handlebars" song was about desensitisation to violence and escalating adrenaline rushes, begining with riding your bike in an exciting way, which led to more and more dangerous stunts to get your fix, until soon enough you were a powermad dictator organising holocausts. Just my personal interpretation. It's still a great song.

EDIT: oh, and I chose Contentment, because that is what I want from my life, I understand that I won't change the world, I just want to be happy, and have enough to live comfortably.

 

[Wadders]

Contentment.

We only have a small amount of time on this earth, and I'd rather spend it happy and content with my life, than be successful for little more than a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things.

To me, the epitome of contentment would be a a family and children that love me and would remember me, a respectable job and freedom to live out my life as I see fit, not to earn millions and be known the world over.

That kinda thing just seems hollow and fleeting to me.

 

[Wadders]

OK, ignore this :|

 

[BENZOOKA]

The easiest choice. I've always been modest (often even too much so). So contentment it is, absolutely. Even with disregarding my past self, that's just who I am. I don't need too much to be happy.

That's a cool song though.

 

[FalloutJack]

I deny any logic which chooses between having cake and eating it too. Both are possible and anyone limiting themselves to only one consigns all the 'what might have been' to death. Contentment is fine, but you still gotta have dreams, and those dreams can come true. Well...as long as it's not about things that are actually impossible, I guess. You don't want a world-consuming parable, right? Yeah.

Jack reads the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books by reading all the choices as they come.

 

[Wierdguy]

If the only downside to success is my distanciation to my morals innocense and love for humanity... then fuck it I go for success. My morals are vague at best as is, I dont know the meaning of innocence anymore and I hate humanity. All in all - a good deal on my part.

 

[Nudu]

I don't get it. Are success and contentment mutually exclusive?

 

[SilentCom]

That video is something strong. I would personally go with living a life of peaceful content. What is the point of success if it leads to the failure of humanity?

 

[BeerTent]

Strangely enough, if we follow the Ultimate Dilemma, I desire a life of contentment, yet live a life of Success(With the exception of Riches.)

On that note, you can have your advertisement here for food. I'm not picky, although I like chicken.