"Psychpologie des Erfolges", Der Bund, Volume 90, Number 149, 29 March 1939, p. 7, 8.
Google translate:
The Psychology of Success
By
Dr. Franziska Baumgarten-Tramer
Success plays a role in everything we do or leave undone—that is, the favorable outcome of our efforts to realize our plans. To achieve success means securing the greatest possible gain in material or intangible assets, such as wealth, power, recognition, the following of others, and so on. Success is therefore the axis around which the activity of most people revolves; it is the ultimate goal of all their endeavors. It is easy to understand why the successful person is admired by others; they are presumed to possess special gifts of intellect and character. Such admiration flatters a person's desire for status and elevates their self-image. Consequently, those suffering from feelings of inferiority strive for success with particular intensity, hoping that the distinction enjoyed by the successful will allow them to mask their own—real or imagined—inferiority. Apart from all this, success has a highly beneficial psychological impact. It fosters a specific mental attitude—comprising self-confidence, daring, assurance, optimism, and hope—that spurs further activity and yields ever-new results. (The American psychologist Thorndike experimentally demonstrated this beneficial "effect of success.") Given these conditions, many people are able to move "from success to success." Success breeds success.
But is it actually true that the successful person is also the most gifted or the most deserving? Brilliant minds have long questioned this assumption. Such sentiments can be found among astute thinkers; for instance, the Roman historian Livy asserted that success is the teacher of fools. La Rochefoucauld suggests that success is merely a matter of the ability to present one’s average talents in a particularly favorable light, and that the world rewards the appearance of merit far more often than merit itself. Nietzsche, too—that great exposer of human virtues—asserts that success is "the greatest liar." Furthermore, the fact that many of humanity's greatest geniuses went unrecognized—dying in abject poverty amidst scorn and ridicule—has long led to the observation that there is no clear correlation between achievement and recognition (or success). Those who arrive ahead of their time are misunderstood; pioneers and innovators who boldly break new ground are overshadowed by the "finishers" who ultimately reap the glory. It is also a long-observed fact that success is not commensurate with the effort invested in achieving it. How many protracted, arduous labors yield meager rewards, whereas a single idea—seemingly dropped from the heavens—can bring wealth and honors! Consequently, a number of sociologists and psychologists have turned their attention to the psychology of success. A "science of success" has emerged, focusing on the norms and conditions governing success. Based on the research conducted in this field, the following types of success can be distinguished:
Achievement-Based Success
This term refers to a situation where an act or feat is accomplished—driven by talent or aptitude—that is so useful or significant that the person responsible sooner or later gains material reward and recognition. Examples include achievements in science, art, and technology (such as discoveries and inventions) as well as in professional life (e.g., superior carpentry, tailoring, sales performance, or customer service); such work is sought after and rewarded because it is unsurpassed in its kind.
Success based on character
is success achieved less through special aptitude than through character traits. One can often possess—and leverage—qualities such as diligence, goodwill, perseverance, tenacity, and a peaceable nature rather than innate talent, using them to compensate for any lack of specific ability. A supervisor might refrain from dismissing a less productive employee simply because that person knows how to adapt to working conditions and the environment, whereas a far more talented but "abrasive" colleague becomes unpopular—and often intolerable—due to constant friction with others. According to American findings, professional success stems 15% from actual performance and 85% from the ability to deal effectively with people.
Success via "Crooked Paths"
However, it is not always positive traits—such as those just mentioned—that bring about success. One can also achieve it through negative ones, such as flattery, servility, opportunism, concealing one’s true convictions, false publicity, intrigue, slander, and the like. Some psychologists even claim that these very negative traits are the most frequent causes of success, leading G. Ichheiser to term them "success traits." In his view, even success based on actual achievement is accompanied by them; for it is not enough simply to accomplish something—one must also promote the achievement, gain recognition for it through skillful publicity, and so forth. (A Persian proverb says: "A pound of learning requires ten pounds of knowledge regarding how to apply what has been learned.")
Success Through Good Fortune
This is the kind of success that arises from a chain of fortunate, favorable circumstances—without any active contribution from the person who reaps the benefit: winning the lottery; an economic boom setting in just as one opens a business; a vacancy appearing at the very moment one is looking for a position, and so on. One need not fight for this success; it falls into one’s lap like ripe fruit. It is well known that such strokes of luck do not necessarily find their way to the most deserving. ("More luck than brains," as the saying goes.) * These four types of success—four distinct paths leading to success—are evaluated differently by moralists. The first two are termed "earned" success, while the latter two are called "unearned" success. Incidentally, various other terms are also associated with the concept; one speaks of material, ideal, internal, or external success; of minor success or a "smashing success"; of foreseen or unexpected success; of lasting, fleeting, immediate, or delayed success, and so forth. In daily life, the vast majority of people almost entirely overlook these underlying conditions of success. For them, success is simply success. What matters more to them is what has been gained, rather than how it was gained. This disregard for the origins of success stems from various causes—such as a lack of insight into human nature, superficial judgment, mental laziness, or the thoughtless acceptance of the obvious. It causes great harm to human society, for it undermines the ideal of justice, which forms the foundation of social, political, and economic life. It is therefore in people's interest, whenever they encounter success—instead of merely envying or admiring the successful person—to ask themselves the question:
What is the source of his success?
How did he achieve it? Is it a success born of merit or of character? Did this success come about thanks to positive character traits or negative ones? If one soberly weighs the actual merits, one will realize how often one has bestowed admiration upon someone unworthy. In times like ours—when propaganda, aided by widespread deception, operates so extensively—it is actually a duty to examine the motives that lead to success. Yet, one is even more likely to be deceived about one’s own success than about that of others.
When a person succeeds at something, he is convinced it is entirely to his own credit—believing he possessed the aptitude to carry out the task and the insight to seize the opportunity. He proudly tells himself: "Everyone is the architect of their own fortune." Conversely, if a person fails at something, he will undoubtedly attribute the blame to all manner of external causes. Both attitudes are dictated by the human need for self-validation. In the first instance, one seeks to claim credit; in the second, one wishes to avoid diminishing one’s own standing. However, such an attitude is not conducive to genuine achievement in life. Even when it comes to one’s own success, one ought to objectively consider how much was achieved—or not achieved—through actual aptitude and positive character traits, and how much was the result of mere chance or a "detour." Only then, based on such an "inner accounting," should one arrive at a judgment of oneself. This process often gives rise to a highly complex problem of great significance for human relationships:
How can I succeed without harming others?
How can I rise to greatness without belittling others? How can I soothe envy rather than arouse it? Success thus leads to problems within the community—problems that weigh all the more heavily on our consciences the more we yearn for that success. Success brings friends, but also enemies. It can bring us happiness, yet plunge others into misery. If one were to judge success from this perspective and fully grasp its consequences, who knows how often one might voluntarily forgo it? Despite the great positive significance success holds for everyone, its value should not be overestimated. In truth, one ought not to distinguish between inner and outer success. Success is always something external, and the pursuit of it—so characteristic of our times—can have a detrimental effect on many characters: it fosters an unhealthy ambition and a disregard for fellow human beings, who come to be viewed not as ends in themselves but merely as means to an end; it encourages an overvaluation of outward appearances, which serves only to foster intellectual shallowness.
Conversely, failure—provided it is not chronic—can have a beneficial effect on the soul by tempering arrogance, encouraging introspection, and providing insight into one's own faults.
Failure can offer a salutary lesson in self-knowledge, enriching us inwardly and fostering our maturity. There is, therefore, profound wisdom in the saying: "Only fools need constant success."