What defines a successful human being? What defines a good human being?

I believe that these two questions are the biggest ones that we all struggle to understand and answer properly in relation to defining humanity.

Are you the type of person who defines a good human being by:

– their physical appearance (apparently tall, light skinned men and women are good humans);

– what other people think of them (if that Aunty next door, who b*tches about everyone for her convenience, thinks they are a prick then they definitely must be one – I mean the number of people who have bad mouthed me…I must be such a terrible human being);

– how ‘normal’ they are (do not be too loud nor too quiet – basically force yourself to be a person you are not and you will be considered a good human being at last).

Are you the type of person who defines a successful human being by:

– their degree (according to some small minded individuals, a person is only successful if they have completed a medical, law or engineering degree – any other degree or no degree means you are unsuccessful);

– money (the more sleek looking the car or bigger the house, the more successful that person is – which means that I am a complete failure);

– talents or social media reputation (followers, subscribers, likes).

If your answers are Yes to any of the above, well carry on reading. If you answered no, well still carry on reading because hopefully you find it an entertaining read regardless.

My answer to these two questions take the form of rhetorical questions.

What defines a successful human being? – Are they happy? In my opinion, success is not about the degree, money or followers. It is about happiness. Some of the happiest people in this world are those who live in small huts in a remote village. Happiness comes from within, falling in love with yourself and accepting yourself for who you really are. Secondly, happiness comes by surrounding yourself with people who push you to become better human beings – ‘better human beings’ does not mean you have to be quiet by the way. Several people think that to be better you need to feel more accepted by the general population. Not at all. You need to strive to find yourself and be you. I started off being restricted by society – I was unhappy. Now I am following what I believe and feel is right, regardless of what other people think – I am happy.

What defines a good human being? The way I like to think of this is by seeing whether an individual makes other people happy. Respect people, empathise with them and understand their situation. There is no need to have to agree with them, but respect their opinion and try to engage in a conversation to unravel their thoughts. You learn a lot about a person just by sitting with them and talking to them about their beliefs. That understanding you show is what makes you one step closer to being a good human being. Understanding I believe is the foundation of all successful relationships. Relationships have crumbled because the two individuals have failed to understand each other – no judgements, no hatred, just love!

So now it is time to evaluate my own life:

Am I happy? YES I am – this means anyone’s negative opinions about my life do not phase me.

Do I make other people happy? Well I hope I do. If I believe I’ve hurt someone, I’ve apologised and moved forward.

That’s all…simple right?! x

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