As us students navigate through their lives, they have to make an important decision. Should I prioritize my success or my happiness? Numerous things come into perspective when it comes to making this decision. 

When asked, few would say happiness recognizing that  success alone doesn’t guarantee genuine  happiness. While others would say they wouldn’t be able to be happy without some sort of achievement or success is more valuable.

“Success because I believe achieving something makes me happy,” Ariel Kissoon said.

Often stemming from immigrant backgrounds, these individuals tend to link success with happiness; along with the long term benefits that come with it. 

“I think it’s important because once you are successful in life other things come faster or easier because you’re financially stable and in a place you want to be, which is true happiness,” Ariana Kissoon said.

However not everyone gains fulfillment from their  achievements in order to feel joy.

“At this age happiness seems more important because I can’t relive my youth and I think being happy now will help me be successful in the future,”Awana Islam said.

 There was a recurrence in the answers showing divergent opinions. One side that intertwines happiness with success, while the other perceives them as two different groups.  A person’s mindset, values and upbringing which influence their stance on this.

“Success is very important to me as a child of an immigrant. Living off of the sacrifices made by both my parents and my siblings in order to be here makes me believe that with my success not only will I be happy but also my family, which in return makes me happy,” Ariel Kissoon said.

Many people also run on the mentality that using success as a factor of happiness would cause it to be harder to be happy. This is a constant debate because in the end both are important, for countless reasons.