How do you measure success? Is it by comparing your achievements to the accomplishments of others, or against the fulfilment of your own ambitions? And when it comes to judging the success of others, it's probably pretty pointless using your own aspirations as the standard by which to do so, because they simply may not have been aiming at the same target - nor shooting the same kind of arrows in order to hit whatever target they were aiming for.
I once freelanced for IPC's top-selling boys title, 2000 A.D. I had my name in print, people requesting my autograph, and - best of all - money! Was I success? Well, in one way, yes - but in another way, not really. I'd never had any particular ambition to work for 2000 A.D. per se, only to work in comics in some way. The fact that I started my 15-year career on the most popular adventure comic in the country was merely a bonus.
Was I any more of a 'success' than someone whose first job was as a shelf-stacker in Sainsbury's and who then worked his way up to the position of store manager? Well, no, not really. Is he any more of a success than me? Just how do you measure it? It may never have been his ambition to work in a supermarket, but it was mine to work in the comics biz - and I actually achieved that. (Interestingly, back in 1988, MARVEL U.K. contacted me to offer me work - I never had to approach them. That's being a failure?)
If you're happy (or content) with your achievements in life, then, in a very real sense, you're a success. Whether you're a biscuit salesman or banker, if you've attained the goals you set for yourself then that's an accomplishment. (Unless your ambition was to be a failure - now there's an interesting paradox.) Remember, you can't be said to have failed at something you've never tried (after all, you've got to be in a race to win or lose it), so don't ever waste a second paying heed to those smug, self-satisfied types who regard their own personal career situation as some kind of 'international standard'.
Deep down inside, they're extremely insecure people who need to feel that they've done better in life than anyone else in order to feel good about themselves. Sad but true.
11 comments:
Ya gotta have a Zen attitude about things, sometimes. Hell, I've been a four-star $*#!-up for twenty years now, give or take. You get used to it. It'll all work out anyway, despite your best laid plans. Like a wise man once said, "they can kill ya but they can't eat ya." That's not necessarily true, but you get the point. M.P.
Derek, you were deleted unread. Quit wasting your time.
Same again. Not even read. All your time wasted. How infuriating for you. That looked like quite a few, too. You obviously have too much time on your hands. Well, ramble on, if it keeps you happy. Nice to know I struck a nerve to so obsess you. To think, my very own stalker. Success.
THIS REALLY IS JP -I can't yet access my google/blogger account. on this new phone! I'm saying this as I see you've deleted my answer on previous blog ( perhaps you thought I was one of your impostets?) Hope you didn't delete my other comments before reading them? Let me know.
JP, I've currently got an internet stalker, who is bombarding me with loads of impertinent comments every day, and who has been impersonating a few regulars to try and get his comments published. When I'm in doubt, I delete, although Im able to detect most of them on sight. Obviously seething away with resentment at something, so no doubt an unbalanced type with delusions of adequacy. Yup, I deleted your comments unread, I'm afraid.
I get the feeling there's a specific context relevant here that I'm unaware of. Well, I say unaware -- but I have witnessed some fallout that may be related. So thankfully I'm not party to any particular context and it's with that in mind I'll offer some observations. Yes there is a certain bifurcation in the way people view them selves in the light of their endeavours. You can sum it up as the -competitive- vs the -absolute- view. What really matters to some, is not their personal development but status in relation to their -peers-. Others see success as a measure of personal achievement, without relation to others.
My view is that both attitudes have pitfalls, too close a preoccupation with competition with your peers can give rise to a myopic perspective, restricting your personal development. Ever scrutinised the aquarium they keep the live lobsters in, in restaurants? Personally I enjoy competition but I've found the petty wrangling, the professional jealousies of certain environments wearisome and restrictive and I'm much too old now to entertain it, I just get off the bus.
Then there's case of Japan, before 1860 something, they were quite happy there, isolated from the troubles of the broader world. Then Mathew Perry turns up with some warships and they learn that their complacence has left them vulnerable.
Temperament also plays a large part too, some just seem to be happy whatever their achievements, others are always striving for that bit more. Someone once said to me, before the phase became a cliché, "Anything worth doing is difficult" and I think that's true but do you always want to be fighting a battle?
I think you posed an interesting question and I'd probably give a different answer depending on the day of the week. I think that's why it's interesting. Today I'll finish with this: Don't look for validation in your relative success rather use and enjoy the spirit of competition, it'll help you with your personal goals and that's where the real measure of success is.
Kid, what I was alerting you of - I havn't got this new phone set up yet, anyway I googled you & halfway down the page saw KR's a tv? - LUPUS FOG BLOG!! Your nemesis is back,claiming to be you, with a new set of rip-offs ending on 3rd August!!
Interesting stuff, DSE. Trouble is, I no longer have any personal goals (apart from immortality) as I've pretty much done just about everything I wanted to do. (Never was very ambitious.) Apart from the future acquisition of a few toys and comics, I've got pretty much everything I really want. Now all I do is enjoy them all.
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I'd already contacted Blogger about it, JP, but they haven't got back to me yet.
Another comment deleted unread. Some losers never learn. Keep wasting your time, loser. Bothers me not a jot.
I find that success tends to move the goalposts. Achieve what you set out to do and you find that what you set out to do wasn't quite what you thought it was.
But at the age of 27 I was doing stuff that 11 year old me would have considered awesome, so the fact I wasn't making much money seemed less important.
As someone once said, Marionette, once your hobby becomes your job, it's time to get a new hobby. Once my dream came true, I needed a new dream. (I did enjoy it 'though.)
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