Is success A or B?
How do you personally define a successful life? A or B?
A - A person is successful if they have followed their own interests and talents to become the best they can be at what they care about most.
B - A person is successful if they are rich, have a high profile career, or are well-known.
How do you think most people define a successful life? A or B?
A 2019 study by think tank Populace of over 5000 Americans revealed that 97% chose A for themselves, while 92% of the same group thought that most others would choose B.
This demonstrates a significant mismatch between personal values and perceived social values. While most people personally value intrinsic success (like fulfillment, relationships, and meaning), they believe that society values extrinsic factors (like wealth, status, and power) more.
This is an example of a collective illusion (great videos about it here and here). It leads people to conform to imagined societal expectations that don't align with their true values. We may end up pursuing extrinsic goals that are not genuinely fulfilling, driven by the mistaken belief that these are the markers of success that others value.
Is this how we strive for success in music? Are we buying into the collective illusion?
Well, musicians are incentivized to pursue fame and conditioned to affiliate with luxury brands (superstars, institutions, etc.). We can't help it because that's what we see being rewarded and idolized by the industry. And we're stuck in a feedback loop driven by these extrinsic factors. (I must admit that I have chosen to work at places only because of its prestige.)
This is perpetuated by social media platforms, where we measure success by number of followers, likes, etc. We feel pressured to produce content that most others would like, instead of content that aligns with our personal values and goals. (I struggle with this all the time - I want to be authentic, but I feel I must do it in a way that would elicit likes.)
So we strive for this success at the expense of our mental health, creative fulfillment, and personal alignment. And the worst part is that it's all based on a definition of success that 97% of people did NOT choose. That's something worth thinking about.
So, how might knowledge of this collective illusion change how you pursue success for yourself?
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