" Yes it is possible to blend the two, but for the most part, the few rare greats we've seen throughout history are prone to sacrificing their time and happiness in order to take risks. That's their drive, no happiness." quote TheDragon

What I was talking about Dragon is not the kind of happiness that is prescribed by society guidelines, or the discription you presented in your post. What you discribe as "sacrifing somones time" may not always be "sacrifice" but more about the "time spent by these people to fulfill a dream or a vision they have". They "devote their time to fulfill something they believe in" and their "happiness" comes from doing that. I wasn't talking about happiness coming from "complacency".

One of my "concerns" about "a big government that provides "certainty" and "complacency" for all is that it can lead to what we are seeing taking place in Greece and other "failing" countries.

My father's father was a pilot and worked for Igore Sikorski. Now, Sikorski grew up in Russia and he had an idea for building planes that could carry passengers, something that could become a new way to transport people and could become "more commercial", but Russia didn't allow for that kind of activity, they "controlled" the factories and decided what would be produced. And when someone like Igore tried to do what he was trying to do, their very life was in danger. So, Igore came to America and set up a small factory on Long Island. He didn't have alot of "funds" to build up his factory, but he had "ideas" and he convinced his workers to invest in this venture.
It took hard work and several years of "sacrifice" but he did design planes that carried passengers and he went on to do much more than that. He was not "complacent" and "spending his time with what many consider "happiness", instead his time was "devoted to building his vision, his dream" and his "happiness" came from seeing that idea become a reality. My grandfather was one of his "test pilots". His "dream" became a "contribution" that changed many lives. I suppose one could easily say, many of those men that built that business up, "sacrificed their time" without pay and having the extra time to sit and watch TV or do whatever so many did "in their designated time off" back then. And there was no real "comfort of certainty" either.

There are more "great contributions" then we often "realize" and those that made that happen gained "happiness in their "achievement" and that usually required "sacrifices" but not always "sacrifices that meant unhappiness" in making that choice.

That is what "I" meant in having the opinion that "accomplishing a substancial achievement to "mankind" doesn't always have to be considered "something that will not include a person's being able to be happy when they put forth that kind of effort".

Open Eyes