I've been struggling with this and need some help from you wiser HN folks. I've decided that I won't make money the #1 factor in my life and I do try and put i

I've been struggling with this and need some help from you wiser HN folks. I've decided that I won't make money the #1 factor in my life and I do try and put it into practice. I have more savings than my friends who do earn much more than me. Lately its occurred to me that such idealism may have some negative consequences in the long run. In a society where everything is predicated on how much money you have - the healthcare you receive , the education your kids get , the college they go to , I can't practically avoid playing society's finite games. My dad is a guy who's never played any of these finite games. And the end result is that not a day goes by when my mom doesn't complain about him and his ways. It's hard to find other people who share such a world view. And personally too , it's been very tough. It's a pretty common feeling but I have it too , that I lost my way somewhere and now I'm at some place where I can't motivate my self to find a way out. And frankly , I'm not asking for too much. If I got a decent job with some interesting work I'd be thrilled. It's natural feel envy and snobbery. Especially towards the folks who grew up with you. I don't envy Elon Musk because he was never a part of my life. But if I were a smart kid in his class who grew up with him , maybe I'd feel a tinge of envy :P . Because you both came from the same place you feel that you could have done it. You should never ever feel sorry for yourself. Easy enough to say but I can't seem to do it. And that's destroying me. EDIT: Someone who actually walks the walk on this: http://heuna.tumblr.com/post/2415073898/kim-ung-yong-a-child-prodigy-but-happiness-beats http://heuna.tumblr.com/post/2415073898/kim-ung-yong-a-child...