@Pantera
edited
more from that month
Success - Is it an Illusion?
We often wonder what success means and why should we pursue it. I remember years ago when I was still in college, a friend of mine one day told me : “Listen, bud, there are two kinds of people in this world: Successful and unsuccessful, which one do you want to be?”. I was surprised at the maturity of this question. At an age of around 20, usually nobody is interested in analyzing concepts like this. I wasn’t too sure on what the answer was either and my impression waas that nobody is unsuccessful, everybody strives to achieve their targets but quite often there are forces beyond our control that may block us from reaching them. I still do not think this should be worrying us. If it does we will reach a point we will be concerned more about failures than success.
Hopes and fears
While one may think that success has been achieved, everything can still change any given time. Achieving your goals and setting new ones means you are successful, but there can be situations that you never accounted for. One day you are successful the next day you are called a degenerate. This is life, we are taking our chances depending on the variables we understand, however, there are so many we never understood that the strive for success becomes unimportant and pointless. For some success may mean reaching achievements and targets, but for others, success means hoping for nothing at all to achieve freedom. *I hope for nothing - I fear nothing. I am free.* *- Nikos Kazantzakis*
What is success for our civilization?
*Source:* *Unsplash* https://unsplash.com/photos/hvPB-UCAmmU What we are looking for is what society tells us, and our biological needs demand in order to propagate the species. The biological success is to raise children, but it doesn’t mean you were unsuccessful if you didn’t make a family, anything could have been a reason that didn’t allow that. Sadly though it seems that our societies are moving towards what the movie “Idiocracy” predicted as a possible future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP2tUW0HDHA This film can be considered a warning to the human race, as it describes perfectly how the advanced society we have today can be corroded, dumbed down, and eventually doomed to extinction. Is it “success” for our species to create a dystopian lower intelligence society ruled by thugs?
Conclusion - Can we measure success?
*Image Source:* *Unsplash* *by* *Guille Álvarez* https://unsplash.com/photos/IcI3FizU9Cw https://unsplash.com/@guillealvarez Success as a word is about setting a feasible target and achieving it. But when it comes to discriminating people and labeling them as successful or losers, then this is just another of those society narratives that doesn’t really mean anything. Come to think of it, are we losers or unsuccessful when forces beyond our power are not allowing us to proceed further? What do you do when you want something so much and the whole universe conspires against you and not helping to achieve it? Failure is guaranteed then, isn’t it? Why then keep agonizing and not just enjoy what is already there without having to think of success or failure. Success is all in our mind in fact thinking about it means we are also thinking about failure and this is not going to help either. We set targets, just to find some meaning in life, and if we achieve them we may feel good but we also will feel empty, and perhaps our achievement will not look so good when we have to compete with 8 billion people. Failure doesn’t mean we were not good or did not try our best. This is just like that, it is not easy to become one of the top in the world at anything. The odds are not good and we can only lower our expectations and targets to a bare minimum. Is every athlete in the world a failure if they never achieved a gold medal in the Olympics? Success will be this, to achieve the small things in life that are meaningful to each one of us and unrelated from what society may dictate.
**BACKPAGE** I was happy to see JonicaBradley managed to create the Prompt Community. Congrats! Here is my submission to the latest prompt, and I will love to read from others too. Helps us out when we are experiencing writer's block! **Images:** Lead Image from: Unsplash, by Ian Stauffer https://unsplash.com/photos/bH7kZ0yazB0 https://unsplash.com/@ianstauffer
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20 comments
Today everyone want to become successful but no one know what is success .... But no one want to become unsuccessful in life but I think if you fail then you will learn a lot then a successful person My conclusion is you should set a target and got a little success and that is real success
I hope I didn't confuse a lot with my post but I also think in the end I make a point that is probably similar to yours. A subject we can write a lot about, yet, one that gives us mixed feelings and thoughts.
Idiocracy. Best movie ever. The U.S. is living it. Our 45th president seemed to use the film script as a life guide. Success is a live measurement that is incredibly subjective. You might seem a successful person to everybody reading your articles but seem like a degenerate to a family member who doesn't understand the hard work of writing.
Success not about an individual but if we talk about our society (a global one) although we are getting success in every field of life but the human values and integrity is decreasing day by day.
I agree, there are changes for the better with technology, but also changes for the worse when morals are decreasing. There is need for a balance to both progress and keeping human values high.
Success differs from person to person. It is subjective. We don't have a one-size-fits all definition of success. What is success to you may not be a success to me. The important thing is that we don't lose ourselves trying to achieve everyone's definition of success.
Thanks for the interesting contribution. Sounds very logical, however, don't you think that often society puts labels, pressures and tags people unfairly?
Yes, society has its own meaning of success. It could be graduating with a Latin honor, getting your first house at your 20's, or buying your own car, perhaps travelling around the world. There are many. But, as I've said it depends on you. Whether, you go follow what you want to achieve or be pressured because you are chasing other people's definition of success and neglecting your passion.
I'd love to read more from you about this, or other topics. I noticed you are new on read.cash, I welcome you, subscribed and will be waiting to read your articles.
Thank you so much for your kind heart and warm welcome!💛
Haven't watched the movie yet, but it seemed interesting. I will add to my watch list this weekend. I have read many entries under this prompt and I am amazed at how boundless the range of one's own meaning of success.
Yes it is for each one different, and changes often too. Have you written one yet?
Oh, I did, and I think it was also accepted in the prompt community. :)
Will read it next then!
Thanks a lot! And for the nice words. :)
How we measure success is subjective in each person. Some prefer to focus on achievements. We can achieve a target, but as you say, things can suddenly change out of our control. And that doesn't make us failures. Also, when we fail, we can always learn and move on and go for the next achievement. But success in social terms today is so manipulated by social networks. And is often nothing more than an empty shell.
Thanks for the comment and for reading the article. Agreed this is the point, and while I written this very loosely you managed to extract the core of my article. I couldn't have written it better.
The article is good, and the idea is very clear. My approach to the subject was how success is not final. And what you've express in your article is in line with what I think about success.
I hope for nothing - I fear nothing. I am free. - Nikos Kazantzakis That is quite a quote, thanks for sharing. Measuring something on a single scale when a lot of factors are at play can be problematic. What kind of society we are that promote rat race, why can't a guy just be happy with it. I am starting to hate the word success. Steve Jobs was successful because he made billions of dollars, oh please he didn't made Earth any greener nor cleaner. Yes we should acknowledge his contribution to computer industry and to how we use technology but that should not be a measuring stick. How is joe who makes a meager living but happy in his life not successful. I just hope people in the future can break away for the rat race.
Your article is on point ! You enlightened me to see how success and failure works in our daily lives. Thank you, Pantera ! Keep on inspirating people !