I woke up the other day feeling unmotivated. We all have days like that, right? But then a thought started nagging at me. Am I successful? Have I reached the peak of success in my life? As I let these thoughts permeate my mind, I started wondering if I knew what success even meant. Merriam-Webster defines success as “getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame.” In this post, I’m going to dissect each factor of success as described by Merriam-Webster and see if I can determine the meaning of success as it applies to my life.
Achieving Wealth
Wealth is one of the first aspects of the meaning of success. It gives a sense of financial stability and social standing. Classicism is an underlying theme in American culture, especially with the rise of consumerism, which began in the early 20s and has progressed to the present. With concepts of consumerism and materialism becoming representations of wealth and success, it leaves a lot to wonder if people have found happiness from their wealth. Science Daily shared a study about wealth and possessions as a sign of happiness. In the article, they introduce the concepts of happiness materialism and success materialism.
Happiness materialism is wealth and material consumption as a sign of a happy and satisfying life.
Success materialism is described as wealth and material possessions as a representation of reaching the pinnacle of success.
In the study, they share how happiness materialism can negatively impact an individual’s view of a satisfactory life. The idea that materials bring a new level of happiness to one’s life may make people feel dissatisfied in other areas of their life, such as relationships, social life, and etc.
Success materialism, on the other hand, represents materials as a sign of success and progression in one’s life. This perspective on materialism may positively impact an individual’s view of a satisfactory lifestyle because it boosts a person’s economic motivation. The article suggests that it’s not the act of buying and hoarding that brings people happiness, but rather the symbolism of success that brings true joy.
Wealth as a Sign of Success: My Perspective
The article gave me a new perspective on materialism and my relationship with it. I’ve never considered myself a materialistic person, but I do find excitement and pride in purchasing things that are important to me. I think another distinguishing factor about wealth is that it’s not only a sign of social standing but financial stability. I don’t really care too much about what people think about me and class, but I do care about having a stable income. Like most others, I find comfort knowing that I have enough to survive and enjoy the little things. Yes, we’ve all heard the phrase, money can’t buy happiness, but maybe there’s some truth to the idea of success materialism.
Factoring Respect into Success
The second piece that defines the meaning of success is respect.
“If you are not respected, you are not a success. Respect is important because without it, there is no way to be a success. Power, money, and position are all results of respect.” – Washington Post
This short excerpt briefly touches on how money and position are both aspects of respect. Although the article doesn’t dive deeper into the meaning of position here, I interpreted “position” in this context as socioeconomic standing. Respect is subjective and often something that is earned. For instance, when I think of the people I respect and look up to, most of them share the following traits:
- Worked their way up to success
- Created a sustainable and happy lifestyle
- Achieved major milestones
- Overcame their trauma
- Are unapologetically themselves
To me, these people are successful and it’s possible that the respect I hold for them reflects how I view success in my own life.
Additional Thoughts on Respect
I never respected myself, my craft, or my hard work. Why? Simply put: I was a people pleaser. I based a lot of my worth and value on the perspectives of those around me. This is not only toxic but unsustainable. Because I valued other people’s opinions above my own, I rarely viewed myself as a success.
I recall the first time someone said, “I respect you” to my face. Those words left a lasting impression on me and reminded me that I should respect myself too. So in a way, I can see how respect plays a role in defining success and feeling fulfilled.
Does Fame Equate to Success
In a world where Tik Tok, Youtube, and Twitch are popular, many influencers have found internet success with their videos and streams. And although popular influencers such as Emma Chamberlain, Addison Rae, and Liza Koshy (to name a few), have garnered internet fame, wealth, and opportunities, their success also comes with haters ready to dissect their every move.
In a Medium article on internet fame and wealth, N. Pancham writes, “This new economic system of social media is really about our obsession with attention. We all want to be noticed and showcased in a positive light. Problem is, many of us have believed the lie that quick success is always good success.”
It’s hard to determine whether or not fame equals success. But the definition of success also includes wealth and respect. With fame comes income and respect from fans. So that leads me to the conclusion that being adored and respected by many in conjunction with money may make some people feel like they’ve reached the peak of success.
The downside to the success that comes with fame is major criticism, the potential to be canceled, and upkeeping a certain image for your brand.
Fame is Not my Thing
I’ve never had the desire to be famous. Internet fame can be extremely invasive and lonely. I can’t imagine feeling like I have to look or act a certain way all of the time. The idea that so many people can hate me just because is such a turn-off. Am I right? To me, that’s where the idea of success gets lost in the sea of hate comments. I suppose that’s why so many celebrities choose not to have social media.
I mean, celebrities and influencers are all just people. It would unfair to expect them to be perfect all of the time and yet that’s the expectation that people maintain and enforce. Not my cup of tea.
Final Thoughts
I started writing this post because I wondered about the meaning of success. But after analyzing Merriam-Webster’s definition, I have come to the conclusion that success is subjective. Were there some factors that I related to? Yes and no! But I don’t think success can be broken down that simply. I may find fulfillment in financial stability, but one piece that the definition didn’t cover was happiness. What about mental health, emotional health, or physical health? What about making connections and traveling the world?
I would love to explore this topic more and see how I can define success on my own terms.
What about you? How do you define success or do you find that the idea of success is too broad to define?
Let me know in the comments below and as always, good luck on your journey!
Harumi
Robin Williams had fame, respect, money and power. What he didn’t have was happiness and peace of mind. That’s not success.
Success is a broad word. Mark Zuckerberg has been successful at becoming wealthy but is generally considered to be a jerk, greedy and unconcerned with anybody but himself.
Success as defined in merriam-webster
Doesn’t necessarily bring happiness which I would want for myself. Are you happy driving yourself to achieve that goal or are you driving yourself into the ground. I have had occasions when I didn’t win but enjoyed the game. Its good to try hard and push yourself to achieve a goal but you can’t win em all.
Overcoming obstacles gives one satisfaction which is a success whether or not anyone else knows about it. Soldiers in war have to kill people to achieve “success”. I think that
We have many opportunities to count our successes and failures and weigh them in the balance.
Hi Bob! Thanks for sharing your insight. I really enjoyed what you said about weighing our successes and failures and enjoying the game. I think as I experience and learn new things, I’m gaining a new conception of success.
I found this article very enlightening. I have never considered myself a success but I believe I was using all the wrong standards to determine that. Now when I look back at what I have accomplished in my life I do feel I have earned the respect of family and friends. Thus, I am successful. Am I rich? No, but I am rich in the things that really matter. I have a loving family, friends, and the material things I need, not necessarily want. Thank you Harumi for making me see myself in a different light.
I love what you said about using the wrong standards to determine success in your life. I think that in the same way, I’ve held myself to a certain standard that just doesn’t make sense. It’s like putting a square peg into a circle cutout. Everyone’s definition of success is different!
“Success is the progression of a worthy ideal” – I can never claim this thought is original to me as it was said by Earl Nightingale. However this has always been my approach to defining my own success.
Wealth is a little part of that, but only in the perspective that I have guaranteed security and can afford luxuries without having to overthink if I have the money for it.
Fame – no thanks not for me! I like writing as I can be myself but hide behind my words.
Finally respect, I’ve never thought of this in terms of success, but when you mention self-respect for yourself, it’s made me really appreciate its importance- thank you!
Really great thought provoking post.
Thank you for the lovely comment and insight.