Why ‘Success Is Quieter’ for Younger Americans
- sciart0
- Jul 1
- 1 min read
Excerpt: Younger adults are redefining success and shifting their focus from wealth to health.
It’s not that young people don’t care about money, but they don’t necessarily care about getting rich. Or status either.
While in college, Cole Smith, 27, aspired to be someone at the top of the data-analytics field, even if it meant working 80 hours a week. Now, he’s not sure it’s worth it.
“I worried about being 40 or 50 and not having any interests outside of work,” says Smith, who with his older brother co-founded Visor, an online car-shopping site. Smith, who loves to run and spend time with his fiancée, says his priorities have shifted and that success is about having a more “holistic” life.
Wealth, status and occupation are no longer the gold standard when it comes to defining success for adults who have yet to reach middle age. Instead, young Americans rank physical and mental health as the top measure of success. Wealth came in fifth, according to a recent survey of adults ages 18 to 34.