Extended Definition Of Success Essay

788 Words2 Pages

Ever since the times of the BC era, wealth had defined success (Definition of Success). A wealthy person of those times would be looked at as a superior being, they would be someone you’d show respect for. They were successful. Although that's the definition of success back then, does it mean something different now? Like every human being, and every past structure of society, the definition evolves with time because society's’ values change. The definition of the word “success” was often considered as the achievement of wealth, but now it has become modernized to fit into today's society. Today, success is looked at as an individual doing what gives them happiness, generally doing their best, or even contributing positive actions to the world …show more content…

Throughout time in history, everyone who considered themselves successful also had wealth in their lives, but today those concepts aren’t applied. Now it's also seen as an individual doing their best at something or what makes someone happy. In a study by Ipsos, represented by Strayer, 2,011 Americans, eighteen and older, were asked about the definition of success. The results showed that 90% of them believed success meant happiness over everything else. Branching from that, 67% believed it meant achieving personal goals, 66% said it's associated with their relationships toward friends and family, and 60% believed it meant loving their career. Only 1 in 5 people had said wealth defined success. People aren't relying on “textbook meanings” anymore, but rely on themselves personally. It can also be defined in a more broad sense. This word can also mean to help shape the world into a better place by contributing positive things to not only oneself, but to others around them as well. Dr. Michael Plater, president of Strayer University, believes that success defines the feeling one gets when the little, yet significant moments in life appear. Its when, “You have accomplished something bigger and better than yourself.” An example of this could be the accomplished feeling a teacher gets when their students make better grades on a test. Blogger, Steve Mueller, believes that success is measured by the amount of people that able to live a better life because of what an individual creates for them. Simply donating to a charity or organization can give you that positive or accomplished feeling

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