We live in a society that celebrates and idolizes “success.” Yet by definition, there can only be so many folks that are “above average,” which sets large majorities of us up for unhappiness or feelings a bitterness.
As humans, always been a species of strivers. Today, instead of hunting to find food our drive manifests itself in more refined ways, but the instinct seems to be the same.
High aims are not achieved without high ambitions. One does not wake up a great surgeon or artist at random. Achievement requires years of hard work with no guarantee that we’ll make it.
And this idea of striving doesn’t just take place at an individual level. It is deeply embedded in American lore. This is a country built by ambition, hard work, and innovative persistence, so the story goes.
Part of this is good. The more of us who strive explore the full range of our potential, the better. Yet, there is also a worrisome downside to this, as well as a more modern twist.
As columnist David Brooks points in