happy with little or miserable with more? // 2011.08.17

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One of my previous jobs was for an IT company. I was part of a startup team with members of various experiences, and it didn't take long before we found out each other's salary. It also didn't take long before I started hearing people complain about how little they are getting compared to other members of the team. It didn't break the team, but it did take a lot of the team spirit for quite a while.

One of us didn't say a word when salary was the topic. He didn't give a complain or give any hint of dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, he was also one of those whose salary people haven't found out about. People jumped to conclusion that he was getting a lot, thus the silence. It didn't help that he was as jolly as ever every time he's in the office. It took everyone by surprise when we found out he was actually getting the least amount of salary compared to the rest of the team.

My friend had little compared to others, but he was able to smile everyday, content with what he asked for and without any extra baggage weighing him down. Would you rather be in misery by constantly measuring your worth and happiness against others even when you are getting what you asked for?