The Paradox of Achievement
We live in a world that idolizes success. From a young age, we’re taught that achieving great things — getting into a top university, landing a high-paying job, accumulating wealth and status — is the ultimate goal. The unspoken agreement is that if we check all the boxes of a “successful” life, we’ll be happy.
Yet surprisingly, many high achievers find themselves feeling profoundly empty and unfulfilled after reaching lofty goals. This paradox — where individuals who have “made it” still feel a gaping void inside — is what I call the dark side of success.
The Treadmill of Achievement
The pursuit of success can be an obsessive treadmill that’s hard to get off. For the high achiever, there’s always another mountain to climb, another accolade to attain. Their self-worth becomes conflated with accomplishments and productivity.
Dr. Madeline Levine, a psychologist who treats high achievers, remarks, “Success is like a bright, shiny solo act. It’s when we’re on the treadmill doing our solo performance that we start to unravel.”
High achievers can slip into an insidious cycle where they derive their sense of identity and purpose almost entirely from what they…
