Simple truisms and generalizations are very rarely accurate, yet historically they have formed the bread-and-butter of political rhetoric, along with countless cultural norms. Besides, to every point, there will be a counterpoint, whether or not it’s truly valid.
Success and innovation are not the same thing. Imagine all those cartoonish films about early attempts at flying. Indeed, many have earned Darwin awards through innovative ways to fail. At the same time, there are plenty of well-to-do inventors.
Having too much money can make people neglectful and careless or stingy and fearful.
Seeking help for health can also lead to misdiagnosis, but that really is a worthwhile risk.
I gave up addressing issues in my previous relationship long enough for my kids to gain a degree of independence before we did break up. In other words, sometimes, it isn’t the right time to address issues if doing so will lead to even more tragic outcomes.
I’m pretty sure that a complacent perspective regarding success is a form of delusion. Having a delusion of success makes me think of the comment, “he’s a legend in his own mind.”
A lot goes into defining success. Many definitions of success don’t age well, such as materialism or social status. Those who are complacent are vulnerable to unanticipated adversity. Those who can figure out how to engage in times of contentment in the midst of adversity, certainly have a significant measure of success, in fact, the kind that cannot be taken from them. Some define success as nothing more than having a decent friend or two.
There is a thing called hedonic adaptation, which means that whatever level of success by whatever definition a person attains, they are subject to eventually becoming bored with it and their current level of success is no longer satisfying. Another way of looking at that is that there success, even without any change in circumstances, is no longer success.
Many people flip the perception and inner narrative about that phenomenon, and simply accept that new goals need to be set and that life is a constant process of personal evolution and gaining of wisdom.
Finally, to your question, how to avoid complacency? How about gratitude, meaning, and purpose? Appreciate and maybe even celebrate what is good in your life. Someone who has been hungry for a while may experience more joy from a fast food meal than some rich guy gets from a gourmet meal at a top restaurant. I think meaning can be connected to experience and interpretation. In other words, “why am I here, and why have I lived through this?” Finally, purpose, which actually connects experience with how you wish to fulfill yourself in the future.
I also consider the overarching purpose, “why does existence exist?” We can think of ourselves as bits of matter bouncing around the universe as though within a megalithic pinball machine, existing for no other reason than “why not?”
I think there’s more to it than that. Even if our origin was nothing more than an elemental omelette, our emergent consciousness allows us to choose a purpose. For me, that purpose is to share Love. I don’t think anything is more worthwhile than that.
