Success is the state or condition of meeting a defined range of expectations.
It may be viewed as the opposite of failure.
Criteria for success depend on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system.
Some might consider a success what another person considers a failure, particularly in cases of direct competition or a zero-sum game.
The degree of success or failure in a situation is viewed by distinct observers or participants, that one considers to be a success, another might consider to be a failure, a qualified success or a neutral situation.
The ideal of success is found in the American Dream which is probably the most potent ideology, suggesting that achievement, success, and materialism.
In biology natural selection is the variation in successful survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype.
In education a student’s success within an educational system is often expressed by way of grading.
Grades may be given as numbers, letters or other symbols.
Educational systems themselves can be evaluated on how successfully they impart knowledge and skills.
Success is a relative rather than an absolute term, as it needs to be measured against stated objectives and against the achievements of relevant peers.
Although fame and success are widely sought by many people, successful people are often displeased by their status.
There is a general correlation between success and unhappiness:CEOs are depressed at more than double the rate of the public at large, suggesting that this is not a phenomenon exclusive to celebrities.
Individuals tend to focus more on objective success: status, wealth, reputation as benchmarks for success, rather than subjective success: self-worth, relationships, moral introspection, and as a result become disillusioned with the success they do have.
Celebrities in particular face specific circumstances that cause them to be displeased by their success.