‘What’s the clearest sign that someone is genuinely doing well in life?’ – 17 indicators that somebody has their act together

Thanks to social media, everyone is able to present a happy and successful version of themselves to the world. But as we all know, online appearances can be deceiving.

People who are truly doing well in life communicate this fact more subtly than a self-congratulatory Instagram story. To help you spot the tell-tale signs of success, emotionprocessor put the following question to r/AskReddit:

‘What’s the clearest sign that someone is genuinely doing well in life?’

From big giveaways to small indicators, here are the top replies…

1.

‘Their adult kids speak highly of them.’
-BadAtDrinking

2.

‘They are happy for others. They aren’t all about themselves.’
-_PrincessButtercup

3.

‘They sleep like a baby while the rest of us are emotionally buffering at 3am.’
-Minibersy

4.

‘My closest buddy was doing minimum wage and struggling with debts while trying to build a business his entire 20s. I was the one that paid for his drinks when we hung out, or I’d cover his tab if we were out with other friends.

‘His business finally took off in his early 30s. Now we’re both mid 30s and he always insists on covering our drinks, or he’ll do some random sport bets with me and winner gets a free dinner. The bets are always highly in my favor so I know he just wants to buy me dinner.

‘I’m happy for him that he can be in the position to treat me now. Plus I’m happy he gets to finally go on 6-7 vacations a year with his gf to all sorts of countries and cities that I told him about in our 20s. I had to travel a lot for my work as a management consultant and often showed him pictures.

‘I’m not broke by any means, I’m doing very well. It’s just nice to see him succeed, plus getting free shit my way never hurts.’
-chips2013

5.

‘For me, it’s when someone isn’t performing anymore.

‘They’re not trying to impress you, not chasing validation, not flexing anything. They’re just… steady. Present. Comfortable in their own skin.’
-itsybaev

6.

‘They have time to just exist. They’re not trying to fill the empty hours with anything other than self-care, hobbies or interests.’
-anxiousyenta

7.

‘They don’t need to tell anyone they’re doing well in life.’
-Faye_From_FlexCEUs

8.

‘Money goes up, health goes up, relationships get deeper and last longer, they got offered opportunities.’
-johnstevens456

9.

‘Honestly, the clearest sign someone is doing well is when their life finally feels quiet. Not boring, just peaceful. You can see it in the way they move. They’re not rushing everywhere, not panicking over every small thing, not constantly checking their phone or trying to prove something to the world. They have this calm energy around them that you can’t fake.

‘For a lot of people, “doing well” isn’t money or holidays. It’s when they can wake up without dread in their chest. It’s when their days have some structure instead of chaos. They have routines that make them feel grounded, small habits that make their life feel stable again. You can tell when someone has their basics in place because they don’t get thrown off by every little setback. Their mood isn’t dictated by their bank balance anymore.

‘You also notice they start enjoying small things again. A walk, a clean room, cooking something simple, seeing friends without feeling drained. When someone is genuinely doing well, you can feel the softness in the way they talk. There’s no desperation in them anymore. They’re present. They’re actually living, not just surviving.

‘That’s when you know someone is truly okay – when life feels lighter for them, even in the small moments.’
-Inevitable_Pin7755