True Success

During out reading of Veblen over the past couple of weeks I have been struck with how closely he describes the society we live in today. We are driven by money. Much of the world is completely engrossed in accumulating more and more “stuff” so that they can be happy. However, as we talked about earlier in McKibben happiness does not seem to come, at least statistically, from money. So why do we keep pursuing it? If we have our basic needs met why do we need more? I believe that one of the reasons is due to our self worth. If we do not feel satisfied with ourselves then we think that accumulating money and material possessions will help us feel more confident and successful. I have seen this phenomenon occur in myself and in those around me. During my teenage years I felt insecure and as a result of those feelings tried to fit in with my peers. One of my worst fears was that I would be classified as “different” or “unique”. In order to avoid this fear I tried to fit in by purchasing specific types of clothes. However, I soon realized that this did not increase my success or my self worth. I, like many others, fell into the trap that Veblen talks about in his book—invidious consumption.

One of the consequences of falling into this trap is that it rarely brings true success or self worth. This is due to the fact that there is always something better, newer, or greater that can be attained. Society claims that the more wealth you attain the more successful you become. However, I believe that this can lead to dire consequences. If you use this mantra as the backbone of your life, God is unnecessary. In fact, his principles for success seem to go against those held closely by the world. The principles of kindness, gentleness, and self-control all differ from what many hold as principles vital to success. Instead the world says to work hard, play hard, sleep less, and be kind to only those who help increase your wealth. These principles have been shown to increase wealth but are they purposeful effort? Do they make you feel more successful? I do not believe they do. In contrast, I feel that purposeful effort and success come from doing things for others. As a volunteer at Andrews University Outreach I have found that success does not come from your net worth. Instead, it comes from doing things for people in your community. Thinking about some of the “pillars” in our word’s history I can name several that had little net worth but great success. Mother Teresa lacked wealth but if you were to ask the people she served they would tell you of her success. Martin Luther King Jr. also lacked wealth but the civil rights movement he started is still a success today. I believe that these examples help remind me that success comes from helping others and promoting a cause worth living for. If our society would take this principle to heart I feel that more people would attain true success from their efforts and avoid the trap of invidious consumption.