PROMPT - Can success be Disastrous?
Success, something that is usually only associated with positive things, can have surprisingly negative effects. The drive to achieve one’s goal often takes a person along the wrong path which then makes the achievement of success worthless. Examples of numerous famous figures illustrate this point.
Kurt Kobain, often known as the pioneer of rock, was the creator of the historic band Nirvana. An immensely talented guitarist, Kurt had loved guitar his whole life and had always dreamt of starting a band and making it big. He sacrificed his education in the process too. He did make it big at the end, Nirvana’s “Smells like Teen Spirit” is a certified platinum record. Kurt has also been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, during this journey, Kurt got addicted to an innumerable number of drugs,drinks and other substances. His substance abuse also started affecting his personal relationships very seriously. In the end, all his success proved to be in vain since Kurt committed suicide at the very young age of 25.
An historical example for this would be the example of Ashoka, the great Indian king. Ashoka, like all great kings dreamt of expanding his kingdom and turning it into an empire. In fact, he did succeed in doing so. He established an empire so large that it covered the entire breadth and length of India. This success however came at a great loss to him. Expansion requires war and war requires death. This fact was something that filled Ashoka with immense guilt. Once, while examining the aftermath of a great war, Ashoka saw the corpses of the thousands of people that had died in the war. He was never able to forgive himself after that. Thus, his success ultimately resulted in his never being able to be happy. Even though he did achieve his goal, in his case too, it proved to be futile at the end.
These examples very clearly show that success does not always lead to a very peaceful and contented life. It can have many negative consequences.