Contentment = Defeat

People constantly ask me if I'm happy, or if I'm content with my station in life. My answer has been, and always will be "no". People often interpret this as me being pessimistic (which I pretty much am) and a big stick in the mud. Until I explain myself.

Life is much like exercise (for the lack of a better comparison). Once you're content with the way your body looks, you either plateau your work out routine, or you stop all together. If a person is always looking for a way to better themself (or as a mentor once told me "increasing my personal stock value") then they will always be completing goals, and will find a different level of satisfaction. I can't fathom someone just completing High School, then doing a 9-5 job M-F until they die. Sure, they may be 100% happy and content with what they're doing, but how does this happiness contend with joining a volunteer organization, or getting higher education?

I've never been happy because I'm always looking to gain more in life. Anything from learning something new, to getting promoted. Even surviving something stress is a tiny accomplishment to me. I couldn't imagine having a life that's completely cozy in doing the same routine for 50 odd years until you die.

Sure I get the arguement that what good is life if you can't be comfortable and happy, and sure I get the "we're all gonna die anyway" Neitzsche-esque argument (which I really like by the way). But I can pretty much counter with this, I'd rather live this life in a different state of contentment, working with others to collectively build a better machine that is life and the world, then to be just some tiny cog that never changes it's location and function, and merely just holds the right to "be" part of the machine.