There's a wonderful book by the science fiction writer Robert Silverberg called Kingdoms of the Wall which I bought for my kids. Like most Silverberg, it appeals to adolescent/young adult age groups (IMHO). It is a retelling of the prometheus myth somewhat.
A quick synopsis (with spoiler) is that a medieval society lives at the base of a everest-like mountain range (the wall). There are rumors of gods living at the top of the wall, but no person who has ever made the pilgrimage returns. A young man heads out, arduously climbs the wall, and sees wonders caused by DNA-altering gases and radiation which cause people to suffer different fates along the way. Some are base (turned into mindless hulks), some are quite pleasant (his father living in an eden like paradise); generally the higher you get the better it gets with some exceptions. He finally reaches the top, and discovers a terrible truth - the gods are degenerated human troglodytes, remnants of a crash-landed space exploration. Some went down the mountain, some stayed behind...
Point of the story is that in climbing the wall (life) we all decide where we want to stop depending on the difficulty of the journey. Perhaps we can stop in a relative eden (decamillionaire with interest/investment income for life, great family, etc..) or a place of terror (heroin addiction). But to reach the absolute top is to perhaps be faced with the terrible knowledge of the truth of things. It may not be something to be envied.
I have been acquainted with a few such people in my life - who have subsequently gone on to levels of success that really would just boggle the mind. I chose a different path - my personal choice, not good/bad, just different. But I would like to ask them after the intervening years: are you happy? Was it worth it? And did the knowledge you sought set you free or simply enslave you in the process?
I haven't decided if I am going to be downshifting again in the future. Right now, I'll continue to do what I do and make hay while the sun shines, because it sure feels like evening and I have no idea how long the night is going to last.
'Nuff with the philosophy. Carry on.
