extraordinary: Grigori Perelman

[akula]

This guy is a scientist who proved Thurston's geometrization conjecture. No idea what is, but it was important enough to award him $1 million bucks and the Fields medal (the Nobel Prize equivalent of mathematics, it practically means immortality and millions in consulting fees).

Now...Grigori earns abot $300/month at his teaching post at St Petersburg University, and he has declined both the medal and the cash prize.

I think this man is the definition of happiness.

http://www.russiablog.org/2006/08/ru...ves_the_p.html

What do you think?

[NeeJam]

Wow! This guy is offering his services for nothing when he solved it(well others obviously do but they could have other motives for solving it, unlike this guy). I guess he just happy with his lifestyle and he doesnt want ot change it. I think he'd be rather offering his services to teaching students who can benefit the american economy in the future instead of just benefitting his own pocket.

However in the future, if he wanted to he will be able to still get the millions of dollars in consultancy fees because he has solved it - probably not as much without the medal but still a nice figure.

[gryph]

Some Russians have called him mentally unstable for not wanting to accept the $1 million.

I think this guy truly loves mathematics. Just solving the problem was the biggest reward for him. Compared to that, $1 million may seem like nothing to him, so he doesn't want it.

[akula]

i think it's a great story about value and priorities

for greg, publicly accepting success would alienate him from what's really important

success always comes with a curse in that way

i like the story b/c it's different

[kthomas]

i think it's a great story about value and priorities

for greg, publicly accepting success would alienate him from what's really important

success always comes with a curse in that way

i like the story b/c it's different

Oh, Akula, I beg to differ!

I disagree with your statement that "success always comes with a curse in that way"!

Kathryn

[tekmoney]

"Dr. Perelman's favorite activities are mathematics and picking mushrooms on his hikes in the woods outside St. Petersburg."

That could explain things

But hey, if that's what he loves to do and doesn't need the money, then good for him. There are many bright, intelligent people out there who do not see any value in money, and that's something I can respect.

[Ryechi]

He will surely die a happy man...
Awesome skills made him live in luxury

[toptemp]

I could probably run a successful business with THAT brain-power! lol

[Mad Muppet]

i didnt read the article, but why not give the million to charity? fair enought he dont want it but it still can go to good use.

[akula]

Oh, Akula, I beg to differ!

I disagree with your statement that "success always comes with a curse in that way"!

Kathryn

What do you mean?

isn't sucess toxic to happiness?

- daniel

[kthomas]

I agree that money success always comes with some trappings, since, "To whom much is given, much is required," but money is not always "toxic to happiness." Some people can be very very happy with a lot of money! Money itself does not come with a curse. People can make good use of it or bad use of it depending on their own choices, but it is the person, not the money, making those choices.

Many people do not need or want more money to have the success they desire, because each person has their own definition of what success would mean to them, but I think you were referring to money success.

So I don't believe that money corrupts people or keeps them from being happy. Neither do I believe that money is the "be all or end all" of happiness. A person's happiness will depend on many areas of their life, with money being only one.

I'm sure that the mathematician had his own reasons for not accepting the medal or the money, but apparently he did not need them to fulfill his own needs for success.

Does that make more sense about what I meant?

Kathryn

[akula]

That's a great perspective Kathryn

Time magazine did a story on these issues last year which tends to confirm the kinds of things you're saying about people actively managing their happiness by making the right choices.

The thing that interests me, however, is more of a theoretical issue. Success seems to be a discriminatory concept. You can only be successful by comparing your self to unsuccessful people, which typically will include friends, family and colleagues.

That's why Greg didn't accept his honours - because it would have created conflict in his work and personal life.

It's this discriminatory aspect of success which to me seems very dangerous and destructive to happiness.

So, I'm interested in how successful people cope with being different.

[kthomas]

I see what you mean, Daniel, about how success can cause conflicts in some people. Which, to me, all goes back to how you view success and what success means to you.

So we agree on some points, even though we have a different basic attitude about it. Which is perfectly fine. Our individuality is one of the things that makes life so interesting.

And, BTW, I'm new at this board, and have been most impressed at the way you are helping so many others to "succeed" with your profound knowledge and willingness to help out. What a champ!

Kathryn

[theapprentice]

from very early on I have been conditioned to think this:

Money = power, success


I think it was probably the media

[akula]

from very early on I have been conditioned to think this:

Money = power, success


I think it was probably the media

I think that's quite telling because I've been conditioned the same way

In that sense, the reason why I am posting is because I want to go further than just accepting what I've been conditioned to beleive and formulate some beleifs of my own.

The first issue that I find interesting is in how the very nature of sucess (being not unsucessful) comes in conflict with happiness-critical factors (e.g. conforming to community values).

Any thoughts....?