Member-only story
A false story of success
You are only as worthy as what you can show off
Western society's message about success is clear. Money speaks.
Success in the Western world equals wealth, fame, luxury, travel, and ownership. Or at least, that’s what I see in movies, advertising, and social media.
Must we trust a system that measures our worth based on what we accumulate? How we look?
It’s all shallow. Hollow.
Not everyone believes this, of course. But we can not pretend we are not part of a world that capitalizes on our insecurities and believes in infinite growth.
As kids, teachers, parents, and motivational posters told us lies, not on purpose. They told us hard work would pay off. This is further from the truth than Pluto is from the Sun.
Millions of people work hard and still don’t manage to support their families or themselves. Some people will say, “Work smarter, not harder”. Those people are sitting on a pile of inherited wealth.
Most people born into poverty can’t get out of poverty. It’s not due to lack of ambition, passion, or hard work.
Others define success for us
Growing up, my family insisted I pursue a career to secure my future. My mental health has suffered because I have not lived up to their expectations. I’m not where I was expected to be.
Does that mean I have failed?
Selling this “Story of Success” is a lucrative business in itself. There are hundreds of books, articles, and lectures about how, you too, can become “successful”.
The deep desire for success drives us to support a capitalist system. We spend our hard-earned money on things we don’t need to fit into a mold.
What is success, then?
Success has more to do with how you feel about yourself.
Write your success story not by what society values, but by what makes you feel human.
I’m not my body, my job, or my bank account.
Don’t get me wrong. I know those things are important. Without money, we struggle. If we can't make ends meet, there’s little room in our minds to think…
