Does money equal success?

I once asked a room full of parents how many of them believed they had found happiness and/or success.  Of course every hand went up, and I suspect that if I had checked the income level of the parents in that room, most of them would not consider themselves wealthy by any means. And in fact, many, if not most of them, were not.  But the majority of them are now concerned about the amount of money their daughters will make.

I understand their concern, but the idea that happiness and success are so tied up with how much money one earns makes me uncomfortable.  Some state legislatures are even debating doing away with certain disciplines because they don't think they will be profitable in the future. and that worries me as well (side note: I know state budget issues are also a part of their decisions.)  Two articles I've run across recently - Don't Measure Success by Your Paycheck and Money is a Terrible Way to Measure the Value of a College Major - offer some important insight, I believe.

The daughter of a friend of mine is pursuing a graduate degree in social work.  As an undergrad, she majored in art history. She is a very bright, well read, interesting young woman who most likely could have succeeded in a number of other careers, but she chose social work because that is where her heart is. More than likely she's never going to make a fortune, and you know what? She doesn't care.  She has weighed the pros and cons and has made her decision, and I think she will be successful because she will define what that means to her. 

The problem is more complex than this, I know, but as one of the articles suggests, over the long run, perhaps a student will make more money, be more successful, and ultimately happier if they pursue a career they really love.  It's just a thought.