Try not to become a person of Success, rather a person of Value."
-Albert Einstein
This leads me to question. What is it that determines the difference? And why do we so often confuse or choose success over value - when we know success is only temporary?
3 comments:
Success isn't temporary. Look at Einstein. He was successful and we remember him for it long after he's dead. Not that I disagree with you. I think Value (whatever that means) is priceless and Success is usually momentary. But then the reverse is true on some occasions as well. You know there are people who interpret success as a kind of human value. Yep. They hold seminars on it and everything.
Also, (and I realize I am darting down a rabbit hole as I write this) wouldn't you classify attainment of personal values as a kind of success? I mean, if I say "I have succeeded in becoming a person of value" haven't I just done both things at once?
On a side note, I'm curious as to why Einstein chose the word order that he did. It sounds better to say "Try to become a person of value rather than a person of success." At least to my ear.
Thanks for starting this blog, honestus, so I could come over here and ramble on about something. : )
it would be nice to ask him in the living - that i agree, but since we can't, let me take a gander.
I believe Einstein was referring to success in the worldly paradigm of materialistic matters - and as such, saying do not become a person focused towards achieving and being recognized for success - but becoming a person who adds value to every situation - and that, being the ultimate accomplishment.
thus, the reason for the order of his words.
I think the key is in changing the words a bit. Would you rather be successful in this world, or valuable to it? The former has self-interest at it's heart, whereas the latter focuses on the interests of society.
It's a minor difference, but a significant one. For the social-minded they boil down to the same thing.
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