The One Secret to Success | Teen Ink

The One Secret to Success

September 3, 2012
By shruti105 SILVER, Singapore, Other
shruti105 SILVER, Singapore, Other
8 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Scanning the heading of the article, many questions must be haunting your subconscious mind. Is it hard work? Determination? Curiosity? Knowledge? Intellect? Personality? Pure game of luck? Intelligence?

The answer is plain, negligence.

You may find it extremely preposterous to believe that the key to one being successful, somewhere down the line, is negligence. Yes, negligence to what people think of you. Negligence to how you are perceived in society. Negligence to the impact of your actions on people's opinions.

Let's go further. Human beings are nothing but 'social' animals. Over time, all of us have delved in to the habit of amalgamating with society, co-existing in society. In fact, none of us have ever 'made' it a habit. It has always been there, from the very point of our existence as social beings. It's intrinsic and inherent in human beings and in fact, it's one of the most basic, primal instincts of human beings to seek acceptance. Acceptance from society, acceptance from the people around you. This is vitally because of the 'animal-like' traits in human beings that they crave for attention, attraction.

Well, that sums up the psychological and physiological point of view on this matter. Let us look at the practical one. Practically, it is widely agreed that human wants and demands are insatiable. The society too comprises of these very individuals and what makes it even more irrational to satisfy the society, is that the society has a wide diversity of people. Each individual lives up to their definition of perfection. Each of them have their own definition of what is perfect and what is not and that is what they are; or at least are working towards attaining. In other words, the matter is entirely subjective and based on the individual's perceptions. The society looks down on you when you are 'bad' or incompetent and the society discourages the 'good' because they are too good. Either way, society is inherently vain and human tendency is to be caught in this vicious cycle.

Then why are we so bent on proving ourselves to the society? Why are we so irrational about trying to satisfy them and gain their approval? Why as practical and rational human beings do we consult society and seek their confirmation? What are we going to gain even after achieving the impossible? Let's put it this way, what are we going to lose, if we don't thrive to achieve the impossible? Is there anything to gain or lose at all?

From all the explanations above, do you see what we're getting at? Now that we conclude that satisfying the society is a vague attempt to achieve the impossible, which policy do we adopt?

The policy of indifference. The policy of negligence.

But should this mean that we start working towards its destruction? Should we just quit all norms and rules and regulations that help us co-exist in society? Should we forget all our limits? No. Of course, not. But we should doubtlessly refrain from doing it for the society. If you want to do something, do it for yourself. Do what your conscience tells you to do. Do what you think is in the best interest of you. Do what satisfies your soul. Do what your subconscious provokes you to do. Sure, if you want to return the society what you gained from it, go ahead with the altruistic belief. But do it to please yourself, not the society. No pretences, no show off. This piece of advice may invoke the feeling of indifference towards society, but never be indifferent to yourself. That is betrayal to yourself, and your existence. Achieve to excel or fail, not to prove what you are to the society, but to yourself. After every loss or victory, don't think what others may think of you; think of where you stand in your eyes. It’s because if what they think, sets you thinking, then you will never progress because they can't see you rising. The day you can bring yourself to do it, success will come your way.

If you understood and accepted what the former paragraphs had to offer, then you succeeded. If you understood and disliked it (not disagreed), then I have succeeded.


The author's comments:
My personal experience and intellecr

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