[citizen_friend]

Having a job he likes that pays him money he wants. That’s the criteria outlined. He’s just afraid it might end up being a job he doesn’t like.

There is a myth that higher paying jobs must be more miserable, but it’s rarely true.

[KolenCh]

Read more carefully:

> I'm now ignoring recruiters who are begging me to interview for insanely well-paying openings. I have a decently well-paying job with good work-life balance, and colleagues who respect me.

So their utility function has terms other than $. So define "successful", or define the utility function more objectively. It is very clear that yours vs theirs are quite different.

[citizen_friend]

You’re trying to say that I’m defining success as money and he’s defining it as more wholesome factors.

That’s not what’s happening.