We’re told to hustle. To grind. To never stop chasing “success.”
More money. A better title. A bigger house.
We sacrifice sleep, relationships, even ourselves… just to arrive somewhere that always seems to move a little farther away.
But what if that entire chase is built on a flawed idea?
Alan Watts—a philosopher known for making Eastern wisdom understandable to the modern Western mind—had a radically different take.
He believed that what we call “success” is often an illusion.
That the more we chase it, the more disconnected we become from what actually matters.
Not because success is evil—but because we’ve misunderstood what it really is.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything “right” and still feel empty…
If the ladder you’re climbing feels shaky or meaningless…
This might be the perspective you need.
1. Life Is Not a Journey With a Destination
“We thought of life by analogy with a journey… with a serious purpose at the end. But the real secret… is to be fully present where you are.” — Alan Watts
From the time we’re kids, we’re taught to live for what’s next.
Finish school. Get a job. Climb higher. Retire.
Then, maybe, enjoy life.
Watts believed this mindset steals the very thing we’re chasing—joy.
Because when life becomes a never-ending path toward “success,” we miss the dance.
The now.
The breath.
The laughter.
The beauty in ordinary moments.
He taught that life isn’t a race to the finish line—it’s music.
And just like a great song, it’s meant to be experienced, not rushed through.
So if your definition of success is keeping you from enjoying your life as it is—you may need a new definition.
2. The Chase for More Leaves Us Emotionally Bankrupt
“If you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time.” — Alan Watts
Watts wasn’t against making money or achieving goals.
But he warned that when success becomes the only thing, it empties us.
You work a job you hate to buy things you don’t need to impress people you barely like.
You wear stress like a badge of honor.
And every milestone only leaves you hungry for the next.
Why?
Because external success can’t fill internal emptiness.
Watts urged people to pause and ask:
“What would you do if money were no object?”
That question isn’t about fantasy—it’s about clarity.
What do you love? What gives your life meaning? What makes you come alive?
Real success isn’t about winning at someone else’s game.
It’s about waking up and realizing you get to define the game at all.
3. Success Is Often a Distraction From Being Fully Alive
“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.” — Alan Watts
Here’s the paradox:
We chase success hoping it will give us freedom.
But the more we chase, the less free we feel.
We fill calendars, chase numbers, and stack achievements—thinking they’ll make us feel worthy.
But worthiness was never meant to be earned.
Watts saw this clearly:
The need to prove yourself is a kind of prison.
True freedom isn’t found in achievement.
It’s found in presence.
In waking up. In laughing. In watching rain hit a window and realizing: This is life too.
So if you feel stuck in the loop of “not enough”—maybe you don’t need more.
Maybe you need to stop running and start being.
4. Who You Are Is Not What You Achieve
“You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself.” — Alan Watts
We often confuse identity with output.
Job titles. Net worth. Followers. Degrees.
But Watts believed that your deepest self has nothing to prove.
You’re not a machine.
You’re not a résumé.
You’re not the product of your productivity.
You are a living, breathing mystery.
A spark of consciousness having a human experience.
You’re already enough—even if you never “make it.”
Watts would ask: What if there’s nothing to become—just more of yourself to uncover?
That question shatters the lie that your life is only as valuable as your accomplishments.
And it invites you back into the richness of simply being human.
5. Real Fulfillment Comes From Play, Not Pressure
“This is the real secret of life—to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.” — Alan Watts
Most of us treat life like a job.
A task list. A burden. A set of responsibilities to carry until we collapse.
But Watts taught that life, at its core, is play.
Not laziness.
Not irresponsibility.
But presence. Joy. Curiosity. Flow.
When we’re children, we don’t need a reason to sing or dance or explore.
But somewhere along the way, we trade joy for approval.
Play for productivity.
Wonder for performance.
Watts invites us to reverse the trade.
To find something we love so much that doing it feels like play again.
Not because it earns us status…
But because it connects us to ourselves.
That’s real success.
And it can’t be measured—it can only be felt.
Final Thoughts: Rethinking What Success Actually Means
Alan Watts didn’t say success is bad.
He said the version we’ve been sold is empty.
If success means burning yourself out…
If it means trading your presence for productivity…
If it means never arriving at peace…
Then maybe it’s time to stop climbing and start listening.
Because what you’re really seeking might not be “success” at all.
It might be stillness.
Clarity.
Authentic joy.
And the wild part?
You don’t have to chase it.
You just have to stop and notice—it’s been here the whole time.
Why This Perspective Is So Needed Right Now
We live in a world obsessed with comparison.
With highlight reels. With endless doing.
And in that world, Alan Watts’ message is a reset button.
A reminder that you don’t have to earn your right to exist.
That your worth doesn’t increase with your productivity.
And that the point of life isn’t to arrive somewhere—it’s to be here fully.
That shift changes everything.
How to Use This Insight in Daily Life
- Ask yourself: “What would I do if I wasn’t trying to impress anyone?”
- Reclaim play: Find something you enjoy just because—not for money or praise.
- Take micro-pauses during your day to breathe, stretch, or be still.
- Redefine success in your own words. What does a meaningful life look like to you?
- Let go of the pressure to constantly achieve. Practice just being where you are.
Final Message
You were never meant to chase your life.
You were meant to live it.
Alan Watts believed success was overrated—because presence was underrated.
And in the stillness of that presence, you’ll find something far more rare than fame or fortune:
A sense of peace that doesn’t need to be earned.
A life that feels like yours.
And a joy that doesn’t need to be justified.
That’s what’s waiting when you stop running.