If success means creating something unique, new, and amazing that is known and loved by millions, whether that be a company, piece of art, or scientific innovation, then yes, it's unlikely you'll get there without an enormous amount of hard work, and unlikely you'll get there even if you put in that work.
If success means happily living with your partner in the suburbs of a flyover state in a moderately-sized house with a big backyard for your kids, you don't need to tie your life to your career.
People born with talent have an opportunity to both themselves and the world to make use of this talent to do great things. When you replace a drive for greatness with contentment with mediocrity, you make us all worse off.
Less than one in 10,000 will have an opportunity of "greatness".
Most people might get moderate success, and if they take than with good grace and leave space and time in their lives for their community and their health we will all be better off.
Guess what, nobody owes you, or the world at large, a thing. We only have one life and everyone's priorities are different. Want to spend your life chasing greatness? Be my guest. But if one would rather define happiness through friends and family, they have every right to do so. And plenty of people will be better off for that, themselves included.
If success means creating something unique, new, and amazing that is known and loved by millions, whether that be a company, piece of art, or scientific innovation, then yes, it's unlikely you'll get there without an enormous amount of hard work, and unlikely you'll get there even if you put in that work.
If success means happily living with your partner in the suburbs of a flyover state in a moderately-sized house with a big backyard for your kids, you don't need to tie your life to your career.