Sunday, March 11, 2012

Forgetting

Is success still success if its achievement involves changing everything that makes you who you are?

20 comments:

Miss Komal said...

Change is but a part of life , nope ?

Darshan Chande said...

The question presupposes that "you" are complete. But "you" are always in the making, right? Identity is never static, always in the making and never made.

If you are changing for the better, it is success, I would say. :)

*orange plum* said...

Success is success is success.

Change is a funny thing. We are never quite sure what we're becoming out why. Then one day, we look at ourselves and wonder who we are and how we got there.
Change IS, in fact, the only constant.

Kshipra said...

If it means losing your values then, would it make you any happier?

Tangled up in blue... said...

Kay-O-Tic, you know, the weird thing is in the one hour since I posed this question to myself I already found my answer. And yes, yes it is. But I really don't think forcing change on oneself for the sake of change will turn out well in the end.

Darshan, if one changes for the better that is success. Agreed. Will always keep that in mind that particular definition of success.

orange plum, I agree. Gradual change is inevitable. I was a little bit worried about forcing through a few drastic changes in my life till I realised change is not something one needs to fear. It is stagnating which should be dreaded really.

Tangerine, no it wouldn't. That's the answer I was looking for. Thank you for that comment. Success is success only if it makes you feel like you've succeeded, not if it leaves you discontented and ill-used. Most importantly, success is winning a race with one's self and not one with others.

Ruhani said...

If the change makes you happy, then maybe it is :)

nil said...

^same. Agreed. But yeah, the happiness should be one for the long one. Not the kind that's ephemeral and dissapears with the daylight.
:)

Sunil Balani said...

Nida fazli is famous Urdu poet and his lines come to my mind....
दुनिया न जीत पाओ तो हारो न ख़ुद को तुम
थोड़ी बहुत तो ज़हन में नाराज़गी रहे......
this in English means ... you may not win the whole world ...but at least do not lose yourself ....there should be some anguish ,some despair left inside you...I think though change is the strongest sign of life but that should be from within us and acceptable to us ...dictated changes often lead to pain no matter how much of success they bring .

Kunal said...

well..my answer would be resounding 'No'. :-)

If what you are makes you happy and content and makes you smile, then changing that will always result in dissatisfaction in the long run...

People around you may say you have achieved success by seeing your material possessions...but deep down you will know that you left something vital on the way...


What we have to know..if this change is worth it? :)

But, I do think there is a path around it..as in you can preserve ourselves and still achieve success...at least in our eyes...

Anonymous said...

wow ! So well said, karishma. beautiful beautiful words . i wish i could answer the question though,

Anonymous said...

wow ! So well said, karishma. beautiful beautiful words . i wish i could answer the question though,

Gina Gao said...

Success is always success. It doesn't matter how you get to that point.

www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

Sakshi said...

It is the eternal bargain of you winsome and you lose some.. but it is the choice that matters.. about what you want to lose.. and what you want to gain!

Tangled up in blue... said...

Ruhani, sadly that kind of change never does make you any happier. But I guess I've already answered my own question there. :)

nil, haha! Well said! :D

Sunil, thank you for that beautiful poem and those equally beautiful words of yours. I shall always remember that - that it is more important to not lose yourself than it is to win the world. :) And I agree, a change must come from within for it to be sustainable and agreeable. Forced change is easily opposed.

Tangled up in blue... said...

Kunal, yes, I am determined to take that middle path myself. :) Thank you for another of your much-looked-forward-to comments! :)

Anon, Thank you. I think I've found my answer for now, though I am not certain it would coincide with yours completely. Each to their own, I think here. :) It'd be nice to put a name to you, however. :)

Gina, hmm yes, I suppose it is. But success would probably mean different things to different people.

Sakshi, yes, always the choice - that's the crucial bit. :) Thank you!

--Sunrise-- said...

This reminds me of that line from that Scrubs song - 'you've won the race but lost your mind, was it worth it, after all?' :-) Why would you (you as in, 'one') - in your heart of hearts - call something a success if your gut instinct tells you your mind was more important than the race? Perhaps the very fact that you are using the word 'success' shows there is a part of you that considers it a success?

I simply love this thought! In fact, I simply love all your thoughts!

Gustaf Valström said...

I really think it all depends on your own definition of success. Of course, there is no such thing as a fully successful life. When trying to achieve success in one aspect of life like work for example, you will end up losing out on something else. Acknowledging this element of loss will make you feel better. Trust me on this.

And one of my favourite modern philosophers is Alain de Botton who's spoken about a different idea of success in this talk that I'd attended some years ago. Listen to this - http://www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_a_kinder_gentler_philosophy_of_success.html

Aayushi Mehta said...

No. Unless you wanted to change and are happy with the change.

A very good question that was.

Ramya said...

It depends on whether you like the new you.

manan guju said...

what if success means to you.. the ability to change yourself completely..
which probably stems from not forgetting your losses, even while acknowledging your wins n strengths..
some times i think people who forgive themselves are happier..
and sometimes i feel its better not to be good at analyzing yourself..
probably the reason why success leaves us unquenched is we ask for too much out of it?