On miserable productive vs. happy aligned
Apr. 21st, 2026 07:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
posicScott D. Clary writes in Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/scottdclarypage/posts/pfbid029T1oTB8HZN1W2RgLLhsackxwHVEdHj75tjc9tSeYBSupbKp4bUpGnSDdmPL3FEn4l :
I have zero interest in being the most productive person in any room. I want to be the most aligned. Productive means I did a lot. Aligned means I did the right things. Some of the most productive people I know are also the most miserable. They're efficient at building a life they don't want.
***
The difference is that being productive does indeed mean having produced a lot, but being aligned does not mean having produced things that are popular or in high demand. Being aligned is the property of a person, not of his output.
I suspect that most of those unhappy productive people did not have the option of becoming aligned instead of productive. Concerning myself, I certainly do not believe that I ever had such an option. This is a problem of who I am, not of what I have produced. I am misaligned by nature. Being productive makes my life, at least, palatable.
In fact, I was never interested in "building a life", or even in having a life; certainly not after the age of 25. I wanted to use my life as an opportunity to make a contribution of high genuine value, and so I did. Both the productive and the aligned will die all right, but the productive may leave a lasting positive impact.
I am very happy about the work I have done. I am not happy about people and my relationships with people. I believe that my problems with people stem from who I am and could not be resolved by working on something less interesting but more popular instead.
I have zero interest in being the most productive person in any room. I want to be the most aligned. Productive means I did a lot. Aligned means I did the right things. Some of the most productive people I know are also the most miserable. They're efficient at building a life they don't want.
***
The difference is that being productive does indeed mean having produced a lot, but being aligned does not mean having produced things that are popular or in high demand. Being aligned is the property of a person, not of his output.
I suspect that most of those unhappy productive people did not have the option of becoming aligned instead of productive. Concerning myself, I certainly do not believe that I ever had such an option. This is a problem of who I am, not of what I have produced. I am misaligned by nature. Being productive makes my life, at least, palatable.
In fact, I was never interested in "building a life", or even in having a life; certainly not after the age of 25. I wanted to use my life as an opportunity to make a contribution of high genuine value, and so I did. Both the productive and the aligned will die all right, but the productive may leave a lasting positive impact.
I am very happy about the work I have done. I am not happy about people and my relationships with people. I believe that my problems with people stem from who I am and could not be resolved by working on something less interesting but more popular instead.
