Success Brings Out the Worst in People

It's hard for me to say, because I've never been successful, and I've never been wealthy. That said, I've always had a roof over my head and enough food to eat, so I'm grateful to God for that. It could be said I am successful in a way, because I'm an accomplished actor, singer, songwriter and writer, and there have been a few marks of success for sure. And many people have liked my work: so I guess there are times when I have to tell myself not to be vain or boastful. But when it comes to widespread acclaim, or money...these have never come my way. But i can imagine that it is hard not to be a little big-headed when you are very successful in life. We can all be tempted; it's human nature to like to compete and win. But my Christian faith says we must remain modest and humble, and I think it's important to try and be these things, no matter how much success we have. Or achievement. Or money. For after all...we can't take these with us.

I think we have become very greedy and the more we get the more we want. However, I don't think that all people who gain success are like that. Some people do keep a level head about their fortunate gains and they try to help other people reach their goals as well.

I have never come to the conclusion that success brings out the worst in people. i have seen success as bringing out the best in people. Perhaps sometimes our heads can be swelled with our level of success and we show a side that is not true of us.

A little success at times can get a person high on the initial euphoria. The feeling of disorientation or separation from reality makes them have inflated egos about themselves. As most things that give this kind of feeling are addictive thus people would do anything to retain that success they have acquired.

Hi PRC, The quote is so true! I have met a lot of people who already swam in the pool of success! At first they were really good and awesome.. But as time flies by the worst of them comes out... That will be the time you'll know who are they really are!

i completely agree... it seems so often that when people taste success it changes them as a person. they lose an appreciation for the simplest and most important things in life... family... friends... and helping those in need. i know this is kind of a tangent but an example that really bugs me is celebrity's donations to charities and such. i mean, most of them have a few organizations or causes that they continuously give to. but when you look at what they are donating, it is such an insignificant amount of theyre income. when we hear that a celebrity donated $100,000 to some charity, we idolize them as if they are the most caring person on earth, when really, 100k is nothing to them. it seems so often that the donation is only being made for the sake of their image. when you make like 20 million dollars a year, why does that 100k donation make you better than the unsung hero, the low income family that donates as much as they can to the red cross, for example, after a disaster such as what happened in Japan? because that low income family can barely afford to do it... but they actually understand that they still have it better than these people and choose to do what is RIGHT.

I have been successful many times in my life and at certain intervals/levels in my life. I don't believe it brought the worst out of me on the contrary I do recall the less fortunate at the time and have over helped many during my success. I found this uniqueness about me to allow me to be differentiated amongst my peers. I suppose because my success in life has always been earned and not something simply handed to me. So I believe success actually enhanced the type of person I actually am.

I believe in this. It does bring out the worst in men. The inquinchable greed of money in men are one of its nature. Envy is one of the problem which result to misunderstanding and conflict.

Ive been many time successfull but I experienced the opposite. When Iam successfull many people are very jealous and yes they say bad things. Mine success was not handed out to me, but realy hard work, I know evryone can do it, but they dont. So in mine case success is hard work and nothing else. Mine experience is that the people are so focused about the results I am the same person but evryone see the results and for me its just mine passion and work nothing else. The result is a little thing from my work. But no one see or say what a nice work do you do and how interesting and ow yess I see your passion. No they only see the dollars or your car hahahaha.

If those people who can't gracefully handle stress snaps, those people who can't handle success also do. Success no matter how small or big it is in magnitude at times can make people's ego and head bloat until their brains swell, unabling them to think reasonably, and until their monster egos pop out. this is when success turns to one's downfall. No wonder, not all successful people are happy and loved.

there have been threats, yes. It also pressures me sometimes. In our family, I was the only one among my cousins who graduated on time from a hard-to-get-into university, and got a job ten days after graduation. For my family, that is already success, but i think I still have a long way to go. Whenever my so called successes are pointed out, I just keep myself grounded by reminding myself that success is temporary, I still make mistakes and that tomorrow, I would mess up, or since I live away from home, I call my friends and my family and ask them how they are doing. I have known some people develop some superiority complex because of the success they have achieved. These people doesnt like owning up to their mistakes, which is just ridiculous and pretentious. I have seen what they had become and the changes of attitude which has happened to them by letting their high positions get into their heads. I just hope and pray that I dont become like them. :)