The Illusion of Success: Why Society Forces Us to Fake Perfection

Every time I see someone up on a stage talking through their “success” story, I cringe profoundly. And it is especially when it is professors and university chancellors talking about their success. Seriously, why must I believe you to be successful because of some degree you earned decades ago? What makes you assume that your polished speech is going to make me or anybody here optimistic?

The “Success” Myth

Well, we’re sold this story every day that success is reflected in your job title, your bank balance, or the expensive suit you wear. But our professors proudly say it, as if they’ve somehow found this magical formula for life. Let’s be realistic for a little while. How are you contributing to society when you sit in a lecture hall, collecting our parents’ hard-earned money, and increasing fees every year? It is really funny the way they portray themselves as rescuers of the world, when the fact of the matter is that they have now become part of that same machine that is plundering us.

For these self-proclaimed “successful” people, one forgets easily that true greatness does not have to announce itself. Their history’s biggest people did not stand up and shout about their achievements; others wrote their stories for them. It is the inspired and the awestruck who wrote the books, not the so-called successful men who think they are special just because they managed to climb the academic ladder.

The Puppets of the System

The more I think about it, the clearer it becomes: most of these people are just puppets of the system. They trained us to mutter the same dumb stories to us, pretending that success comes through one more exam or by attaining one more degree. But if you dig a little deep, what have they really done for society? Are they really changing something, questioning the status quo, or merely making sure university profits keep on coming rolling in?

I’d bet my money if you peek into their history, you’d find things such as:

“How to make students cry their heart out.”

“How to increase tuition fees.”

“What excuses to cut bus services and save money on this.”

So-called leaders can only preserve the status quo at best. If they really wanted to actually make a difference in people’s lives, society would be vastly different today. But that’s really not the point, is it? The point is to take as much money as they can while pretending education is the way forward, even if it is costing students their mental health and their futures.

True Change Is Silence

But what about those who actually do make a difference? Let’s not forget like Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who spoke out and demanded change. And where are they offed to? Killed, silenced, oppressed, or worse. It seems that there aren’t enough of these wishers and fixers allowed even to the top stages so their stories would inspire real change. It is fed stories instead of those who have learned how to play the game and nothing more.

Perfection Is a Lie

This unrelenting zeal for success trickles down into every sector of society, primarily through parents. They now demand their children to be perfect-being born with Einstein’s brain and with the drive of a multi-millionaire. No wonder so many youth are suffering from mental health issues. They may not fail, be human, or find their way. They are poured into a box that is simply too small, and hardly anyone finds surprising when the handle breaks.

Conclusion

Why do we continue devouring this storytelling? Why must society make us pretend that we are all going to be anything if we just make it through another semester, another job interview, another promotion? Real success isn’t something measurable through a degree or a paycheck. It’s found in people who, from the heart, are interested in making this world a better place, and those are usually not the voices we tend to hear.