first we have to come to some kind of consensus about what is happy. It's not easy to define or all agree on what happiness means.

I work at Oracle and one of the things that took me by surprise when I joined (besides that the coffee in startups is usually much better) was how happy people are. People walk around in small groups laughing and smiling, taking about their projects. I can't talk for everyone, but coming from startups for a long while where happiness is confused with being idle (you're smiling, stop that and code) I am pleasantly surprised at the environment.

I want role models that advance ideas, rather than caring too much about how happy they are. Their ideas are the public side of their persona, the part that interests me, their personal mental well being I leave to them. Was Picasso happy? (Maybe when he had Brigitte Bardot in his studio) - but he still took the art world by storm with pieces like Demoiselles d’Avignon. Was Salk happy, maybe, but a lot of kids born around 1955. I really don't care about rich or famous, but give me role models that do something meaningful.

I agree with your observations. I was using "happy" as a placeholder for enthusiastic, passionate, driven, etc, i.e. fulfilled in what they do, whatever that might be.

Startups don't have exclusivity here. I am sure people can be all of those things at a big company, although my own experience differs.

This guy created a trampoline in his home, built a chain mail to keep him fit, built his own windmill, etc: http://jamius.com/

More (including his wife announcing the baby then): http://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/e5qgr/so_this_guy_li...

He's pretty open about his life if you go through his personal site.

That guy just became my hero.

Such people are less likely to be promoting themselves hard on the Internet, instead being content not to have "profile".

I think there is plenty of both types out there on the interwebs. It's just a matter of filtering the right ones.

Shigeru Miyamoto is quite an inspriring figure for the techie generation. To say he has reached the top of his profession would be an absurd understatement, the man is practically a legend - yet he works for a large corporation on a fixed salary and sounds totally content with life. (read: he could be a hell of a lot richer if he wanted to be)

I'm a fan of Miyamoto. Something I read recently mentioned him make a distinction between the money he gets paid, and the money he gets to spend as part of his job. I'd imagine being able to build crazy expensive prototype device's on their employers dime would make many round here smile.

rich + happy > (rich || happy)

rich is not XOR with happy

You could argue that if you're happy, you're already rich :)

You could argue that right up to the moment when you try to buy a Tesla sports car and they say, "Sorry, we don't take Happiness Express." ;)

That only applies if a Tesla sports car makes you happy.

The things that make me happy, don't exist as commercial goods. I have to create them.

Hmm. Appears to be happy? Is actually happy? Looks stern but is secretly happy? Passionate but deadpan and serious? Passionate but deeply unhappy? Rich and passionate but secretly unhappy while appearing to be happy and unmotivated while being secretly broke but publicly rich?

The examples don't matter because there is no x = y = z relation here. Do what makes you happy, try to get rich doing it. Try getting rich and seeing if you're happier. etc, etc, etc.

How does one share their happiness with other people in a way that makes sense? "Today, I am happy. The world is lovely." [then what?]

Why would you admire and want to learn from someone whose main appeal is that they are happy? What would bring a great deal of people to their blog/site?

That said, there are some lifestyle blogs that do exist like Zen Habits.

In this context I am primarily looking for role models who are happy/passionate in what they do, i.e. they are fulfilled through their craft whether that's coding, marketing, or embroidery.

I was thinking the other day that if one is going to be an online addict, that Hacker News is a good drug of choice.

I can quit any time I want...

(clicks new)

I don't think being rich and being happy are mutually exclusive, so why ask for one and not the other?

The two don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Abraham Lincoln.