While everyone looks forward to success, we often measure success in different ways. Some see the secrets of success through obtaining wealth. Others see success in gaining power. Still others want to achieve success through respect and reputation. One of my Chinese students indicated that for him success would be holding his head up high in society, with his back straight, living a life of dignity and self respect. I particularly like this statement.
In discussing our philosophy of life, I recommended living a simple life, using wealth appropriately to live reasonably, and to enhance our lives, but not to collect wealth to such an excess that we have no possible need for all the money that we have obtained. I also suggested that we should not waste food and should not litter in public places. This student indicated that his philosophy of life was different, to earn enough to live in abundance. He indicated that he wasn't sure whether my philosophy of life or his was more correct. He said that though he comes from a village, his appreciation of the farmers' efforts to raise their crops and for him not to litter were perhaps less developed than mine. All the major religions in the world emphasize that we should be concerned about the poor in our society and that a society is measured by how it handles our poor. If I were personally successful, I would argue that I should not grudge the success of others, whether they are more or less successful than I am, if their success has been earned by their own honest work.
As an older American, I have achieved my fair share of success, in terms of adequate finances to sustain my style of life, by the appropriate use of power, especially as a teacher, and in terms of developing my own reputation. Also, as a father, grandfather, and teacher, I have seen my own success modeled by my children, grandchildren, or students. Still, what my student says, to live with my head held high, with my back straight, and with dignity seems to me to be an excellent expression of what success should be for all of us.