What is success?

Question

How do we perceive success? Every one is striving to be successful but do we even know what success is?

Answer 1

I love the answer given by Shane C, but I will offer something a bit more serious. 'Success' is obviously relative term; it is relative to having some goal. I suspect there is no absolute goal to life in general, aside from whatever goals we set for ourselves, but something along the lines of "living a happy and fulfilling life" is probably about as close to universal as any answer could be. The notion of "fulfillment" is vague and ambiguous, but most people have a general sense of what it means, and it typically involves a spiritual or moral aspect. Most people would not consider someone to be a "success in life" if they are happy but their happiness is bought at the price of gross immorality. This brings up the possibility that a person might think they are successful, when in fact they are not. We can have delusions of success. Thus it seems that there is some criteria of success that goes beyond the mere beliefs of a single individual. There is, in other words, a social component to determining success. There are "matters of moral principle" to be considered, and these principles are generally determined in a social context. Religious people will typically go the extra step and talk about absolute standards of success that are independent of any social factors – they are God's standards.

Personally, I don't believe in very many absolutes. A lot of questions seem like they should have a definite answer; it seems like somehow there should be some ultimate "fact of the matter" that determines whether the answer to specific questions is "yes" or "no." I don't believe this. Many questions are inherently unclear, and thus there may not be a clear answer. Also, I think that reality itself is often indeterminate in a very fundamental way. I suspect that there is not "goal" for Existence as a whole, and thus there is not ultimate standard of success. Thus, for a question of success to have a clear answer, you need to specify a particular measurable goal, then make your determination based on this. So, for example, "I want to make $50,000 this year" is a clear and measurable goal, so the determination of success or failure is similarly clear. But "I want to be happy" is more vague and can involve numerous grey areas, but the standards for success are correspondingly unclear.

Answer 2

I believe that success doesn't necessary means wealth,or health or both of these combined. Success is more complex and the three goals I've mentioned earlier and they are just pieces of the great puzzle.
I believe that everyone has its own version of success, and depending on that person's perspective on success, he or she will have success.
Everyone must strive to find his version of success, first in his mind,in his inner world, and then proceed to materialize it in reality.
For most money means success, while for me success means having free time, and having lots of money, without having to work. Add into this situation a good health and good relationships, friends and I will call this success.
If you want to learn more from my experience and to read some of my thoughts you can consult my blog below.

Answer 3

I think you are taking success in a materialistic way. And you will find a materialistic answer to you question.
Sorry I am not striving for materialistic success. I want to attain that kind of success, achieving which I won't want to achieve anything.

Answer 4

Success is something that needs to be defined if it is to be recognised; without a definition or criteria success is the name of general state of happiness of mind. There can be as many criterion of success, in fact, as many there are people on this planet. You see this is strange world full of all kinds of people. You would not believe if I tell you how strange are the notions of success near certain people. But normally, some people would see success in most materialistic sense. They would like to be stay happy and healthy with a certain amount of wealth to go with it, whereas some others would find success in their academic and career accomplishments. There are many people who seek social approbation and acclaim for their acts. Some would yearn for popularity and would like their talents and skills to be known widely. But there are definitely very many people who search for spiritual fulfilment as their prime objective in life, and would define success in terms of virtue, piety, righteousness and strength of character. In philosophical sense however success is deemed to be in living wisely and happily.

Answer 5

To define success, it's very important we know what is failure. Ironically, both Success and Failure are relative per every individual and their look out. And this article nicely sums up the same: http://lifebeyondnumbers.com/success-is-not-final-failure-is-not-fatal/

Answer 6

For me, it was accomplishing my goals, becoming an RN, working at a job I loved, marrying a man I loved and having two children. Then raising honorable responsible children. Now, living in a home we enjoy so much, caring for our pets, seeing our grandchildren.
Life is good! Success is good!

Answer 7

An order of succession is the sequence of those entitled to hold a high office such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility in the order in which they stand in line to it when it becomes vacated.This sequence may be regulated through descent or by statute.

Answer 8

At age 4 success is . . . not piddling in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . having friends.
At age 17 success is . . . having a drivers licence.
At age 35 success is . . . having money.
At age 50 success is . . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers licence.
At age 75 success is . . . having friends.
At age 80 success is . . . not piddling in your pants.
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LOL! You got the same name as me! Do you find that people pronounce it as “Sawn” ?

Answer 9

success is happiness if you can look at your life and be happy at the outcome that is success

Answer 10

Perhaps the answers exist within the articles at http://success.hammocksurvivalguide.com/
:)