It has always been said that nothing worth having comes easy. Chris McCandless, the protagonist of Jon Krakauer’s novel, Into the Wild, learned that sometimes being successful costs everything, including life itself. Chris was a young adventurer who loved to explore the world and all of the beauty it had to offer. In April of 1992, he went on his final journey, poorly equipped and directed, into the Alaskan wilderness. As far as readers know, Chris was not even headed in a particular direction; he was just wandering into the wild. In the short life that Chris lived, many people would argue that he was not successful because his mission in Alaska had failed. On the contrary, his great experiences and relationships with others support that Chris was a very successful young man. Although the diverse texts support many different ideas of how true success is defined, they also prove that success has more than one single definition.
Success is something that every person looks at differently and in America it is something that is strived for every step of the way by most typical people. The idea of success is planted in our heads at a very early age and is embedded in our culture as a part of the American Dream. Ways that success is approached are different depending on what drives a person, whether it's competitiveness or a strive for greatness. A competitive approach to success is described in Margaret Mead's essay The Egalitarian Error when she writes, "For many Americans, the concept of success is a source of confusion. As a people, we Americans greatly celebrate and admire the one who gets the highest grades, the one voted most attractive or most likely to succeed.
People have different views on what success really means. Some say success is based on money or fame. If you have a lot of money or fame you're "definitely" successful. Others say success is based on your fulfillment and overall happiness in your life. Alfred Brooks, the protagonist in the novel The Contender by Robert Lypsite, has many friends, family, and supporters. Alfred also has almost no financial gain through boxing, but he's been inspired to work hard. Lastly, Alfred is very happy with his life even after his boxing career fails. On the other hand, Midge Kelly, the main character in the film "Champion," is the polar opposite of Alfred. Midge loses his friends, family, and supporters. Also, Midge is rich, but he dies alone and unhappy. At the end of the novel, Alfred Brooks is more successful than Midge Kelly is at the end of the movie.
If you were to ask a few people how they measured success, most of the answers would vary. Some may state that is based on your monetary value or that it is measured by your happiness. Yet, these answers can be categorized by a broad definition: success is achieving the goal you set your mind to. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, challenges the societal view of how success is ultimately obtained. The author states “...if you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires” to emphasize the importance of persistence and work ethic when looking for success (Gladwell 151). This statement characterizes the central aspect to achieving everything you set out to do; however, it
What is success? According to the dictionary, it is “the fact that you have achieved something that you want and have been trying to do or get; the fact of becoming rich or famous or of getting a social position, etc”. Success seems a simple word, yet this plain word renders a large amount of individuals pay relentless endeavors. Remembering the CCTV host Wang Zhi said that success is relative, and everyone has its own standard of success. For many people, success means money, statue, reputation, and so on. I, nevertheless, hold that success not merely means money, statue, and reputation; it means that pursues what you wholehearted want, then making your pursuit is accessible, and enjoys this process.
Success can mean many things to many different people. Being successful means to reach all of the goals that are set ahead. Every person is different, and that means that each person sees success differently. To some people being successful could be as simple as getting out of bed or getting to work on time. Success is found in all goals that are accomplished no matter how small or large that they are. Being successful doesn 't always mean that one must accomplish goals that are hard. To others it could be marrying the person they love. To be happy with that person for the rest of their life is a big success. Being successful at an educational standpoint would be graduating college with a degree in a future career. The degree would start the person on a path to becoming who they have always wanted to be. There is no limit on being successful. People have chances to be successful each and every day. What it means to be successful is to overcome hardships, to not allow negativity keep you from trying, and to never give up on a goal.
If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don’t you’ll find an excuse” -Jim Rohn
Success. One simple word. Two syllables. Although the word itself is straightforward, defining success is complex. Many people define success as having prosperity, but that wealth can come in many forms other than money. Just ask Mother Theresa or Mahatma Ghandi if they were successful. Neither had much money, but both were rich and successful in way that could not be bought. Success can be defined in many ways such as being satisfied and happy with your life, knowing you’ve made a positive impact on others, and having a sense of accomplishment.
In life, people always continue struggling to obtain what they want, and they always crave for a successful life. In general, success is defined to be the accomplishment of an aim or a purpose, and each of us has our own aims or purposes to reach.
What does success mean to me? It means accomplishing things in life and reaching your goals. Everyone has a different view of what success actually is. Success also means setting a goal and reaching it in a time frame you set for yourself. For example I believe finishing college and gaining a career in a field you love is being successful because it is a goal that can be achieved. Another person might think of success as making millions of dollars and having a huge house with nice cars this is also an achievable goal. I want nothing more than to graduate with a degree and start my career as a dental hygienist.
Allegory of the Cave by Plato can be applied to modern day society in many ways. The ideology of success in our society is responsible for dictating human thought that success is based on money and wealth. I believe that one is successful when a person achieves their desired goals and aims. Success is different for everyone.
My English teacher asked me “How do you define success”? Success means different things to different people. To me success is having good grades and a good amount of money, achieving your goals, and happiness.
Being successful in life should start with a positive attitude. Imagine everyone being positive in everything they do and being happy about it. People would become so successful in life if they would be positive in life and in everything they do. Being positive is as effecting as being happy and proud in the things we accomplish daily. Having a positive attitude makes for a positive outcome. People who have a job that they love are bound to be more positive in what they accomplish in there job. For example people who are in the line of cosmetology work may be passionate about making people look good or different. Making them proud to be different or be someone they have always wanted to be or finding their inner beauty. Being positive in that line of work is going to make u feel better and
What does success mean to mean to me? It means doing things that will help you in life. I also think success mean to make you a better person. Being successful can be looked upon in many different ways, such as being rich, having nice car, good job, or anything to make someone else jealous of what you have. Being successful to me means you accomplished what your goal or goals were.
In our everyday life, all individuals are obliged to be successful. People work hard on a daily basis looking for money, education, power, perfect relationships with others. However, only a small number of people considers the exact meaning of love. Failure to determine what success means have led to people climbing the wrong ladder. For most people, success means obtaining a specific object such as building wealth, launching a million-dollar business or being in a perfect relationship. However, some of the most significant successes have been as a result of the worst failures (Hines, pg15). Success is dynamic, and it differs from individuals depending on their goals. The ability to achieve a particular goal is what defines people’s success which is a life-long process and not a one-time achievement.