While success is very much desired and admired, it has been known to cause some negative effects. People tend to regard successful people with high regard and respect and successful people such as doctors, business owners, sports personalities, musicians, and people from other professions are regarded with great regard. However, some successful people pay a price for their success. This paper examines the negative effects of success.
Biro (2001) comments that there are two types of negative effects that success brings, how a successful person perceives himself and how another views such a person. The author points out that in the former case, the successful person becomes complacent and success ‘goes to the head’. In such a case, the person would start behaving self importantly and rudely with others and treat them like dirt. Such behavior tends to put off people and close friends and within no time, the person would not have any genuine friends but only self-interested people who would want to exploit the success of this person for their own ends. In such cases, the person would tend to be egoistic, ignore his work and profession and in no time, there are chances that he would lose his expertise and skill, and then success, recognition, and respect would go away. Such people become withdrawn, remorseful, and are not able to adjust to their new status and become mentally wreaks.
Biro (2001) also points out that in some cases, well-adjusted successful people, who behave normally and do not let success go their head would suddenly find that they are objects of envy by less competent people. These people would resent the success that a person has got and would be mean, spiteful, and try to get even or attempt to find ways in which the success would go away. At times such behavior can get out of hand and the very life of the successful person would be at risk.
These two conditions bring up the question if success is undesirable and if it would be better to be mediocre and not be successful at all. The answer is a definite No. One should try hard and achieve success but success should not go to the head and create needless resentment among friends by adopting brash and rude behavior. At the same time, successful people should not be unduly worried about jealous and mean people and there would be several in this world and one cannot keep such people happy.
ICT (January 16th, 2008) reports that many Americans resent the educational and financial success of Asian Americans who work hard, save and invest wisely to gain status and respect among their peers. The report suggests that some people feel threatened by the success of Asian Americans and this causes conflicts and fights. Such feelings are not good for both groups and while Asian Americans should not stop studying, they should attempt to modify their behavior and conspicuous consumption and at the same time, Americans should attempt to study and work harder.
Informis (2007) has reported that when inventors and research scientists achieve success, they begin to feel that their goal is reached and creativity skills start getting eroded. The report points out that such feelings and compliancy and negative effects of success should be removed and people should build on their success to achieve more.
The paper has examined the negative effects of success and points out that negative effects include the person becoming arrogant, brash, and show disrespect to other people and thus create enemies and he would ultimately lose his skills and success. The paper also points out some jealous people tend to resent the success of others. Therefore, successful people need to take a balanced view of their success and work on their skills to achieve more results.
References
- Biro Brian D. 2001. Beyond Success – The 15 Secrets to Effective Leadership and Life Based on Legendary Coach John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. Perigee Trade; 1st Perigee edition
- Informis. 2007. Inventors Must Counter the Negative Effects of Success on Creativity.
- ICT. 2008. Asian-Americans success increasing negative attitudes towards them.