We explain what success is, the origin of the term, its synonyms and antonyms. Also, why its meaning is subjective.
What is success?
The success It is the satisfactory result of an action or project. However, this definition is very broad, since it is a term that is always difficult to define, since today we associate success with the very goal of life, and in that sense it is something tremendously subjective and personal.
Let's begin, however, by clarifying that the word success comes from Latin exituswhich translates to “exit”. The English language took it almost directly (“exit“), but in Spanish it underwent some transformations, which associated it with the idea of triumph, of obtaining the desired result or victory. That is, as the antonym of failure.
Thus, when we talk about being successful at something, or that some action is successful, we are using the term as a synonym for victory, or victorious, or what is the same, triumph, or triumphant.
However, For each person, success can mean something different that is why it is a subjective concept. There are people who pursue it in the professional or business field, associating it with wealth; others in the family and emotional sphere, associating it with love; others in fame and recognition, etc.
Either way, we often make success the ultimate goal of existence, unconsciously turning life into a competition. Perhaps we would be happier if we return to the original meaning of the word, and remember that, in life, no matter what happens we will always succeed, because we will always find, in one way or another, a way out.
Continue with: Truth
References
- “Success” in the Dictionary of the language of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “Etymology of success” in Etymologies de Chile.net.
- “The definitions of success that you should never forget” in Forbes Magazine (Spain).
- “What is success?” (video) in the Right Hemisphere.
