One of the most salient features of our Tech Hiring culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted.
People will point out correctly that it depends from the character of the person.
Most interesting to me is that it heavily depends on the country.
Not on its geographical location, but the culture that permeates the country.
For the US in particular there is a very famous book from Max Weber - the guy basically invented modern western sociology - who linked the US meaning of success from the protestant ethic brought by its early immigrants. A caricature of the argument - read the book - would be that the protestant immigrants want to go to paradise, but only men of virtue go to paradise, and money is a symptom that you have this kind of virtue.
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a book written by Max Weber, a German sociologist, economist, and politician. Begun as a series of essays, the original German text was composed in 1904 and 1905, and was translated into English for the first time by American sociologist Talcott Parsons in 1930. It is considered a founding text in economic sociology and a milestone contribution to sociological thought in general.
Obviously the success bloggers on Medium who tells you how to wake up as early as Elon Musk (a man of virtue because he's rich) and become - at least - millionaire, are often completely non-religious. But it doesn't really matter, everyone has a weird relationship to money, and that relationship mainly comes from the culture you were raised with.
And you don't find the same amount of "success" literature in Japan to take another extreme example.
The most japanese version of success is what they call the Ikigai
Yeah you summed it pretty well, and I mostly agree. There is no definite answer, but I think that the Ikigai concept is something that a lot of people in Western cultures are missing, and I think that it's the closest way to describe what success is.
The way our society paints a picture of success leaves a lot of people shallow and empty, lacking any meaning and chasing for money and social validation, instead of finding self contempt and spirituality.
One of the most salient features of our Tech Hiring culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted.
The definition of success is not common accross western cultures.
Roman catholic countries like mine - France - have a very different view, although being inside of it it would be difficult for me to describe it well.
Exactly, what I'm trying to say is that everyone, in the context of culture and family and overall concepts how we view the world, everyone sees success differently.
The way I interpreted Ikigai was that it expresses this idea, that you should seek success as a being, not something the culture or society around you seeks or deems as "success".
One of the most salient features of our Tech Hiring culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted.
People will point out correctly that it depends from the character of the person.
Most interesting to me is that it heavily depends on the country.
Not on its geographical location, but the culture that permeates the country.
For the US in particular there is a very famous book from Max Weber - the guy basically invented modern western sociology - who linked the US meaning of success from the protestant ethic brought by its early immigrants. A caricature of the argument - read the book - would be that the protestant immigrants want to go to paradise, but only men of virtue go to paradise, and money is a symptom that you have this kind of virtue.
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a book written by Max Weber, a German sociologist, economist, and politician. Begun as a series of essays, the original German text was composed in 1904 and 1905, and was translated into English for the first time by American sociologist Talcott Parsons in 1930. It is considered a founding text in economic sociology and a milestone contribution to sociological thought in general.
Obviously the success bloggers on Medium who tells you how to wake up as early as Elon Musk (a man of virtue because he's rich) and become - at least - millionaire, are often completely non-religious. But it doesn't really matter, everyone has a weird relationship to money, and that relationship mainly comes from the culture you were raised with.
And you don't find the same amount of "success" literature in Japan to take another extreme example.
The most japanese version of success is what they call the Ikigai
Ikigai is a Japanese concept referring to something that gives a person a sense of purpose, a reason for living.
Yeah you summed it pretty well, and I mostly agree. There is no definite answer, but I think that the Ikigai concept is something that a lot of people in Western cultures are missing, and I think that it's the closest way to describe what success is.
The way our society paints a picture of success leaves a lot of people shallow and empty, lacking any meaning and chasing for money and social validation, instead of finding self contempt and spirituality.
The definition of success is not common accross western cultures.
Roman catholic countries like mine - France - have a very different view, although being inside of it it would be difficult for me to describe it well.
Exactly, what I'm trying to say is that everyone, in the context of culture and family and overall concepts how we view the world, everyone sees success differently.
The way I interpreted Ikigai was that it expresses this idea, that you should seek success as a being, not something the culture or society around you seeks or deems as "success".
Yep, I think we are both right. You can and shouuld take inspiration from the ikigai in your own life.
At the same time it's also almost the standard definition of "success" if you happen to be japanese.
My synthesis being that if you can understand 2-3 different visions, you are more likely to find the one right for you.