The purpose of life is not to win.

"The purpose of life is to grow and to share. When you come to look back on all that you have done in life, you will get more satisfaction from the pleasure you have brought into other people's lives than you will from the time that you outdid and defeated them."

Harold Kushner

Rabbi and Author

I LOVE this!
Just like what you eat is key in determining whether your genotype will turn into your phenotype; environment is a key factor in bringing up the best (or worst) traits in you; and that is also one of the reasons I've spent a lot of my youth on gypsy traveling; to figure out which environment supports my own core values and gives me that sense of bliss so I can be creative.

Now how would that make YOU feel better, come on now:
you'd still be stuck in your own misery at the end of the day.

For me, there is no place like California - there is a playfulness in the air and a dynamic environment to think outside the box and get inspired by others instead of just participating in a rat-race where it's all about walking all over other people, aiming to make them look bad, so you look better.

The thing is, this sort of behavior prevents you from evolving and reaching excellence that is soul-deep, not to mention it brings deep unhappiness. The more you can appreciate the brilliance of others, the more you will be able to succeed and grow as a human being - getting inspired by others' success instead of being eaten up by envy.


Regardless of how much empathy you may have, it is close to inhuman to not run with the herd, making it all the more important to choose your environment carefully, because sooner or later you will tend to blend in as this requires the least struggle - even if it makes you engage in things that don't match your core beliefs. You are human and we tend to give in to instant gratification and temptation - so rather than waiting for your breaking point, remove yourself, if you find that you have to struggle to remain balanced in the environment you are in.

When you are around people who are passionate about what they do, and they have a reason for their acts that go deeper than shallow vanity, there is an amazing air of creativity and sharing that inspires you to be better as others around you excel - and that is amazing.