Egalitarian Error Success - Essay Example

Therefore, when success is brought to their safety net, it becomes a problem of the situation of heavy computations. I, therefore, agree with Mead’s analysis and ideas. The society competes in almost everything. People compete for social status, power, schools and jobs. Many Americans are always subjected to competition. Competition, just like in the business field, is beneficial as it helps several people to improve their daily lives. All hard working Americans can achieve success. Success can be achieved in different ways, and nobody is ever trying to fail in life.

The level of success depends on how different people measure and interpret success. Margret Mead describes success as a source of confusion (Mead & Ed 173). She believes that most people celebrate success of other people who are not close to them. But if the person is a family member or a close friend, then they tend to become jealous on their success rather than celebrate it. For example, my friend recently obtained a masters degree in Business Administration. This made me think about going for postgraduate programs.

If he succeeds and obtains a doctorate degree, it would mean that I have failed. The measure of success varies with different individuals, though Mead suggests that it is the same throughout America. Mead states, “But while we often rejoice in the success of people far removed from ourselves-people who work in another profession, live in another community, or are endowed with a talent that we do not especially want for ourselves” (Mead & Ed 173). In this statement, Mead illustrates that most people tend to praise the success of other people who are not close to them.

Even in an academic environment, most students praise the success of students in other classes, but not from their own classrooms. The success of politicians and celebrities are also appreciated by other people who admire them. However, these are people who are not close to them. In order to explain her arguments, Mead presents a different opinion about the success of those people who are close to us. Mead suggests that most people recognize the success of those people close to them as a threat.

Instead of praising their success, they become threatened. Close associates of a successful people are threatened by the fact that these people might end up becoming more success than them. Most people are against the success of their relatives, family members, co-workers and friends. When relatives and friends succeed more than us, we usually feel that it is a threat to our pride and ego. We always want to do better and strive more than our close friends and relatives. According to Mead, Nobody wants to become second in success after those people who are close to them (Mead & Ed 174).

Mead analysis that many people do not celebrate the success of people in their groups is an idea that is true, and it is a common belief in many societies. For instance, when a member of a given group becomes a prominent politician, his/her group members feel that he will not have time to hang out with them, since he will be busy meeting fans and travelling. The other members of the group, therefore, have to fight their success so as to ensure that they do not lose them. I agree with Mead because, even in my own community, most people do not recognize the success of the right people.

In my family, I consider myself as the “