<p>Ok, I understand what you mean now. The separation of accomplishments vs. building on past accomplishments argument is trivial and off topic (I started it so my bad). However, you failed to incorporate the idea of pride within your statement. While the past must be recognized, pride is a useless obsession with the past that can be detrimental while pursuing future goals.</p>
<p>On the topic of happiness, I think Aristotle did a nice job explaining it here, “It must be the ultimate end or object of human life: something that is in itself completely satisfying.” If complete satisfaction can be obtained by admiring your past work or drinking yourself to death then those are ways happiness can be obtained. I personally disagree. I believe that complete satisfaction comes from achieving rather than having achieved. For example should a mountain climber have the most satisfaction from the act of climbing a mountain or telling his friends about it afterwards? If the second answer is true he shouldn’t be a mountain climber.</p>