There was a study https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good... on what made adult men the happiest over their lives. Supposedly it’s having the back of people that also have yours.

on the contrary, i find your attitude of a man saying “you can influence” things and you responding with “must be unhappy to think that” is evidence that you are the unhappy one. someone seeing other opportunities is not a challenge to your own choices yet you feel the need to patronize and belittle. it’s a rather repugnant, all too common, attitude in my opinion. rather see the songbird caged than be annoyed by the beauty of its song, i suppose.

an ambitious man who died fairly young having regrets is hardly evidence of anything.

> That's one man's opinion. Likely an unhappy man's opinion.

Looks like it touched a nerve, but I think you are reading too much into it. It's a very limited life by definition as it's the life that's formulated for you by society. Accepting things are the way they are because you are told so and living your life accordingly is a limited life. Especially compared to his definition of the "broader life". Don't think he meant it's the life everyone wants or should lead or that you should feel bad or insecure about it.

Also his fact is very insightful : "one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it… Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."

My opinion of his level of happiness in life was not based on that single comment he made. I am basing it reports from a lot of people that knew him. The consensus seems to be that he ignored his children, was quite terrible towards some of them and that he was rather emotionally and verbally abusive to his employees and those that worked with him (good traits like his genius not withstanding). Seems unhappy to me.

It’s not like OP is basing things off just this. We know Jobs’ history, attitude, and actions. They did not seem to be of a good man. Possibly not a happy man.