How do you define success?
Merriam-Webster defines the term success as a “favorable or desired outcome; also: the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.”
Like our friends at Merriam-Webster, when considering what it means to be successful, most people initially define success as the possession of wealth, power, or fame, but can the definition of success differ? Does the culture in which an individual was raised or their socioeconomic status affect how they define success? The answer is yes. The concept of success is highly individualistic. Everyone can offer their own interpretations about what makes a person successful because the feeling of success comes from within.
While the majority of people feel they achieve at least some amount of success in their lives, there are few individuals whose degree of success is known worldwide. Celebrities, political figures, the extremely wealthy... It's common for the rest of us to wonder what the key to success is according to these incredibly successful people.
In Shana Lebowitz and Allana Akhtar’s Business Insider article, fourteen of the world’s most “successful” individuals share what success means to them (and hint: money isn't what they point to). Here are a few examples:
According to Shark Tank investor and billionaire Mark Cuban, money is not even a factor in success; optimism and positivity are all that are needed to feel successful.
Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest people in the world, measures success by “how many people love me.”
According to the legendary writer Maya Angelou, success is “liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, believes that success is about having empathy and working to make the world a better place.
Even Bill Gates, the wealthiest man in the world with a net worth of $100 billion+, does not view success in terms of fame, status, or fortune. To him, success is making a difference in society, whether that means raising a child, inventing a new product, or aiding the less fortunate.
The wealthiest, most “successful” figures in the world have a wide variety of definitions of success, ranging from positivity to empathy for others to healthy relationships. Each individual has their own ideas about what makes them feel “successful.” If obtaining money does not constitute success for the wealthiest and most influential individuals, then why does society lead the rest of us to believe that wealth, recognition, and status are the only ways in which humans can feel successful?
Success is also not a stagnant state of being. Once a person achieves their version of success, they typically do not stay in that position forever. According to Richard St. John, a CEO and successful author, the act of achieving success is a continuous process. He realized this when he became severely depressed after becoming a wealthy and “successful” CEO. St. John had enough money to buy whatever he wished, but he still found himself unhappy with his life. After much reflection, he realized that he no longer felt successful because he gave up doing the things that made him feel successful in the first place--things like pursuing his passions, working hard, and striving for improvement. Even though he was making a whole lot of money and had a powerful position, St. John found that he needed to keep pushing himself, coming up with new ideas, and serving his clients in order to feel like he was a “successful” person.
The definition of success depends on the individual. Even if a person is making seven figures with a dozen cars in the garage of a huge house and two kids studying at Princeton, that does not necessarily mean they feel successful. There is no one-size-fits-all definition of success. Doing the things that give us internal gratification and contentment is a key part of leading a successful life. Focusing on goals or relationships or activities we love or creating something new...these things provide more satisfaction and a greater sense of success for most of us than having a lot of money or holding an important job.
Ultimately, the only person who can define success for us is...us.
If you want to keep thinking about success:
Phillip Picardi: To find success, embrace what makes you different | TED Talk
Richard St. John: Success is a continuous journey | TED Talk
Alain de Botton: A kinder, gentler philosophy of success | TED Talk
Elizabeth Gilbert: Success, failure and the drive to keep creating | TED Talk
Richard St. John: 8 secrets of success | TED Talk
David Brooks: Should you live for your résumé ... or your eulogy? | TED Talk
“Success.” Def. 1b. Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2020.
Lebowitz, Shana, and Allana Akhtar. “14 Rich and Powerful People Share Their Surprising Definitions of Success.” Business Insider, Insider Inc., 29 May. 2019.