Happiness and Personal Gain: A Personal Perspective

Charles Yan

I think a sense of happiness and fulfillment and some personal gain in the form of wealth or fame are not mutually exclusive. That is, one does not have to choose between the two.

What I mean is that one should first choose to do something that gives one a sense of happiness and fulfillment. For some, this means the personal satisfaction of doing something they are happy doing regardless of the outcome in terms of wealth or fame, whereas for others, it means the personal satisfaction of doing something that has the potential to give them wealth and/or fame. That is, a sense of happiness and fulfillment for some is wealth or fame, whereas for others, it is just the action of doing something enjoyable.

I think Warren Buffet, one of the most famous investors in the world, finds happiness and fulfillment in making money. Because he enjoys making money, his work is no longer “work” but something pleasurable. I am certain that this is the reason why he makes so much money. On the other hand, Buddha found happiness and fulfillment in trying hard to do absolutely nothing.

So a sense of happiness and fulfillment is a core part of both Buffet and Buddha. The only difference is that they found it in different things.

I believe that everyone should pursue their own sense of happiness and fulfillment by doing sething that makes them happy. Some people are happy when they have a lot of money or are famous. Others are happy doing absolutely nothing. Who are we to say what is happiness or not for others? What we can say is that everyone deserves to be happy and fulfilled and that each individual has his or her own unique way of defining and achieving a personal sense of happiness and fulfillment.