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Wanqiu Liu

Professor Keri DuLaney-Greger

English 122AL

18 March 2023

Individual Success

The unclear perception of success has resulted in confusion among many people.

Although success' definition is clear in the dictionary, there are different criteria for

evaluating success. For instance, some people perceive having a lot of wealth as

successful, others having a happy family, and some having a healthy body as success.

So, the dilemma is success and how it should be defined. While success is diverse,

everyone aspires to pursue their success. Therefore, success should not be based on

comparison with others – success is the rich experience accumulated over time. It is

the indomitable spirit shown in the face in times of difficult experiences and the

passion to pursue a more outstanding life in life. This essay examines the concept of

individual success, as well as key factors contributing to individual success.

Individual success is the achievement of one's aspirations and goals,

notwithstanding external factors such as material wealth or societal prospects. In her

book Serving in Florida, Barbara Ehrenreich provides multiple incidences of success

among low-wage workers she met during her tenure as a maid and waitress in Florida.

For instance, one of his coworkers, Gail, could find joy and purpose in her work as a

waitress despite the experiences of difficult working conditions as well as low wages
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(Ehrenreich 370). Another outstanding representation of individual success is Ellen

Pao. Regardless of facing multiple setbacks and discrimination as a woman of color in

the Tech industry, she relentlessly pursued her career with determination and

perseverance. Later, she worked in prestigious Tech companies such as Kleiner

Perkins and Reddit. Pao was also known for her expertise in corporate strategy and

product development.

Individual success is often considered a result of determination and hard work.

However, the social system's unfairness has created a significant gap between the rich

and the poor. Besides, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds have fewer

opportunities to be successful under the capital influence. Many of these people are

hard workers and are always ready to work in any place but end up struggling with

poverty as a result of the minimum wage, which is only enough to cater to their most

pressing needs. It is, therefore, essential to acknowledge that individual success often

is dictated by one's social class; thus, it can be challenging for individuals from lower

socio-economic backgrounds with little access to resources and opportunities to make

it to success. Mehrsa Baradaran, a law professor, in her book From the Other Half

Banks, notes that low-income individuals need equal access to banking services;

hence it is difficult for them to save or access credit (Baradaran 394). It becomes

difficult for them to invest in business, education, and skills training sectors.

Ultimately, it remains complex for them to achieve individual success.

Gender and race discrimination are among the most crucial factors hindering

individuals from success. Baradaran has also highlighted how discriminatory policies
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and practices in the banking industry intensify class inequality. For instance, she notes

redlining, a situation in which banks decline to lend in specific neighborhoods based

on ethnicity or race, considerably contributes to the racial wealth gap by denying

opportunities for property investment and home ownership to people of color

(Baradaran 399). Consequently, this has made it difficult for the people from these

communities of color to build wealth and achieve individual success. Baradaran's

sentiments align with Ellen Pao's, who has gained widespread attention for her gender

discernment grievances against Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins.

Pao was regarded as an Asian-American descent and employed at Kleiner Perkins.

Here, she claims she repeatedly experienced gender discrimination and retaliation,

notwithstanding her qualifications and accomplishments. Pao alleged that she was

repeatedly subjected to hostility and perilous work conditions. Later, she was

terminated because of her gender and race.

For many people, gap amongst the rich and the underprivileged, social status,

gender, and racial discrimination are the major hindrances to individual success. As

previously stated, individual success is all about the persistent quest of an improved

life as well as the spirit of pursuing one's life goals. Society and the government

should be involved in this struggle and do something to help more people achieve

success. This, in particular, should incorporate providing equal opportunities and

ensuring that everyone has access to education, employment opportunities, as well as

other resources needed to create avenues for success (Kendall 420). The society,

conversely, must provide the support and resources needed to face the many barriers
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to individual success, such as minority status, low income, and people living with

disabilities. Addressing these systemic issues is of absolute importance. These are the

issues that society must focus on addressing as they hinder a significant number of

individuals from becoming successful, such as discrimination, inequality, and poverty.

Providing equal opportunities, support, and access to resources, addressing various

systemic issues, encouraging and supporting entrepreneurship, and the society helping

every individual become successful will guarantee a greater good of individuals and

society at large.

While multiple systemic issues hinder people from becoming successful in life,

some hinder individuals from succeeding personally (Kendall 416). These factors are

associated with wrong decision-making, such as age, belief in personal relevance,

previous experiences, and escalation of commitment to work and realize one's goals.

These common factors have resulted in many people realizing their life goals and

aspirations and ending up attracting complexities, consequences, and uncertainties. In

addition to these factors, self-confidence plays a crucial role in one's pursuit of

success. Self-confidence, with other factors held at abeyance, has led many people to

explore and realize their aspirations and life goals. At every level of the organization,

it is essential to be determined. It is the only way these chains of systemic issues

hindering people from becoming successful will be broken.

In conclusion, even everyone has their definition of success in mind, individual

success can be defined as realizing one's goals and aspirations. This, in particular,

may include career development, financial stability, personal growth, and other
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success indicators. However, in as much as we understand success differently, it is

often influenced by various factors including, but not limited to, systemic issues

(discrimination and inequality), one's social status, and social structure (Mantsios 349).

To help more individuals succeed, the government and society must relentlessly

ensure equal opportunity and access to resources, address the identified systemic

issues and encourage and support business. Furthermore, creating a more equitable

and holistic society will help more people realize their life goals and aspirations,

creating a better future for all.

 
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Works Cited

Barbara, Ehrenreich. "Serving in Florida" Rereading America, by Gary Colombo, 11th

ed., Bedford/St. Martin's.

Baradaran, Mehrsa. "From How the Other Half Banks." Rereading America, by Gary

Colombo, 11th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's.

Kendall, Diana. "Framing Class, Vicarious Living, and Conspicuous Consumption."

Rereading America, by Gary Colombo, 11th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's.

Mantsios, Gregory. "Class in America." Rereading America, by Gary Colombo, II ed.,

Bedford/St. Martin's.

Pao, Ellen K. Reset: My fight for inclusion and lasting change. Random House, 2017.
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Writing Reflection

Through this unit’s writing, I can feel I am improving on my vocabulary and also my

academic writing skills. I did a lot of research on the thesis of this module, "Personal

Success", which helped me to have a clearer picture of myself and I have been able to

plan my life better through these studies. In addition, the teacher's feedback on my

first paper helped me to better understand my shortcomings. I hope that in my next

writing, I can use more terminology and be more specific in my research questions.

Overall, I can see there are still some shortcomings in my paper, and I will do best

best to correct them in the future.