A 'Successful' Life
On paper, most people would probably describe my CV as successful. But success is always relative. People in academia might argue that I could have more publications, more impact, more contributions. In the world of academia, there is always more to achieve or someone who achieved more.
Recently (12/2025), I gave a science outreach talk at my old high school about my current research in regenerative biology - specifically about the remarkable regenerative capacity of the axolotl. I explained the concept of blastema formation and some key principles of regeneration. To make it more illustrative, I performed a small experiment with the students: we looked at planarians that had been cut beforehand, allowing them to observe blastema formation directly under the microscope.
The students — between 15 and 18 years old — were fascinated and asked many thoughtful questions (which suprised me!). Even the biology teachers were deeply interested in this type of research and seemed excited to have an “expert” present. I would not describe myself as an expert — there are far more qualified people in the field — but again, it is a matter of relativity. In that context, for them, I was an expert.
After my two-hour talk, my former biology teacher came up to me and said:
“It’s nice to see that you can actually become something after attending this school.”
That sentence stayed with me..
What does it really mean to “make something of yourself”?
I live a stressful life. Almost every year I move to a new country and have to rebuild my social network from scratch. One of my old school friends is currently planning to build a house and is pregnant with her second child. Another quit his job and is traveling through Europe in a camper van. Another just finished his Master’s degree and started a stable job.
Isn’t all of this also “making something of yourself”?
How does society define success? Most often, success is measured in terms of academic achievement, money, or power. Academic success might mean becoming a professor or recognized expert. Financial success is often associated with visible status symbols — a nice car, a beautiful house or apartment, expensive clothes. Power might mean being a manager, a director, or a politician.
But I would argue that most of the classmates I mentioned are highly successful in life. They simply chose different paths — not the academic one.
I am 25, single, financially unstable, without a permanent contract, and I cannot even imagine taking responsibility for another person or even a pet in my current situation. Yet many people would describe my life as successful.
Shouldn’t we redefine success as overall happiness in life?
Of course, life has ups and downs. There may be illness, loss, breakups, or other difficult circumstances. But in the bigger picture: are you happy? With your living situation? Your financial stability? Your friendships? Your sense of belonging? Your partnership? Your job? Your personal growth? Your health? Your freedom?
Our values play a crucial role here. For me, a strong social community and having a fulfilling job are very important — more important than financial wealth. Of course, things could always be better. One could always have more money or more friends. But it is unrealistic to expect to maximize every area of life simultaneously. Life involves trade-offs. If you invest heavily in one area, another may receive less attention - that is a natural process.
It also depends on the individual. Some people are perfectly content with one close friend; others need a larger circle of eight or more close relationships. Values and happiness are deeply personal.
If we define success in terms of overall life satisfaction — of living according to one’s values and feeling generally fulfilled — then yes, in that terms, my biology teacher was right.
