A New Look at Failure.. redefinition of success

What we do to others, we do to ourself. Or what we do to ourself, we inevitably and inadvertently do to others. Like someone who adulates a person when he is successful and demeans, criticizes when not - will do the same to himself. He is bound to suffer from a nagging feeling that he is not good enough with whatever he has done in life and this could lead to some nasty depression, terrible sense of inferiority.

Change of thinking, perspective is necessary to lead a peaceful life. I always think success or failure are direct products of Krishna(god)'s judgement and one's own karma..plus karmic necessity.

Imagine a society torn with strife and threatened with violence of war, what would be the thing of highest importance to those people? They live in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety if they will live to see a tomorrow and be able to have their dear ones near. Their definition of success is different and hence is their definition of failure. If someone fails, it is not at making a rich living but at living. When  basic necessities of life like food, shelter, clothing and love are scarce, what to speak of literary accomplishments and financial achievements?

In a very different setting,a society where there is no fear of an outside enemy, where there is an abundance of resources and plenty of opportunity for growth. Here because one is not required to show his potential in order to earn a living and can engage in activities passionate to his heart, they tend to be more open to idea of unconventional. Not everyone has to be successful or work towards making a life. Pursuit of unprofitable interests are not treated with ridicule. Success is not cherished so much that failure is disdained as well. With such security and abundance comes a real sense of peace and freedom.

In a third scenario,look at societies of third world countries where everyone is  fighting for a living by beating everyone else in the game, the sense of competition is ripe. The lack of flexibility in choice of a career is also quite obvious. The fundamental values of the society are geared around making money and being better off as a result. Education and that which gives profitable yield as a result is seen as an obvious choice over some wayward, non-profitable passion like arts. Someone who wants to make an unconventional move not only has to fight his family and society but with his own inner consciousness as well. It must have been tuned since childhood to look up to a good job with a high income as the goal and success is when that is reached. But not everyone gets what they want. Or what everyone wants. Some succeed and most fail. It is human nature to compare oneself to something that is higher than itself and feel insufficient. I am not good, I am a failure, look what he he has and what do I have ? A constant inner loop of thought builds up over time and constructs a sour, bitter and melancholic personality. People with darkly brooding, downward faces that are grave and lacking in mirth. Likewise the society treats them the same. Forgets the fact that each individual has an unique journey in life and not two people are alike. Failure in one aspect of life doesn't implicitly relegate someone to a state of meaningless or useless life. There are other aspects where perhaps they shine brighter than those so called successful people. It is just a matter of rewiring one's thought process. Probably it takes changing a society or a country to really be comfortable with such radical thought process. A new look at failure and a redefinition of success is what it takes to relieve so much burden of inferiority complex. It is a burden and one is better off without it.