Success Breeds Failure

The American Thinker ^ | 8/30/2019 | John Conlin

[John Conlin]

The United States is the freest, wealthiest, most tolerant society the world has ever known. Even today’s poor live lives undreamed of by royalty less than a century ago.

Yet in what seems like a major disconnect from this reality, we have major politicians calling for a transformation of society. Why is this? Well, other than pandering for votes and power, which is a large part of it, there is another more basic and more dangerous process at work.

And that is success breeds failure. This is a common and accurate theme in management thinking. Success breeds complacency. Success can lead an organization from lean and mean, to fat and happy, to obese and stupid. Real-world business results show hundreds of examples which prove the point.

This process, one of an individual accepting unearned success, knowledge, and wealth as a “given”; thinking of it all as “just the way it is” seems to be a common thread in human thinking. We intellectually take ownership of all past successes and think of them as almost our inalienable right.

[John Conlin]

I say you must have too much time on your hands when you choose to spend your time NOT commenting on whatever issue is raised but that you have to click on a link which takes you to The American Thinker. I attempt to use this site and follow its instructions. But since I guess I don’t know the secret handshake please feel free to bitch about the OUTRAGE and humanity of having to click on that link. Is there no god?!! That’s what I say. What say you anonymous person?

[Safetgiver]

“Even today’s poor live lives undreamed of by royalty less than a century ago.”.....Nobody gave them cash to buy food, trade for TVs or buying drugs. Really bad off those kings of yore.

[jazzlite]

“Even today’s poor live lives undreamed of by royalty less than a century ago.”

Yes. Air conditioning, running water, indoor bathrooms, medical care, vaccines to prevent terrible diseases, all kinds of entertainment, public schools, food stamps, automobiles, airplanes, world-wide travel, libraries, a church of your choice, predicted life span between 70-80 years. Free nation to live in (until now. remains to be seen whether the left ruins that), etc. etc.

[null and void]

but the kind of things available to royalty of “less than a century ago” are still way out of reach of such people.

The converse is also true. The kinds of things available to the poor in America were completely out of reach of even the wealthiest of kings a century ago.

[jazzlite]

Well said!

[John Conlin]

I’m amazed so many can’t (didn’t bother?) seem to get by the first sentence. I’ve yet to see a single response from someone who seems to have actually read the thing. Such is reality in the social media world.

[jmacusa]

Yeah, I read it and it’s a still a faulty premise. Try doing half a business deal. Build half a house, tie a sports game. Or lose a war, you moron.

[Olog-hai]

Today’s “poor” don’t have food tasters and/or cupbearers to test their food and drink for poison.

I once visited the Tower of London and viewed the gold items and jewels that are in the possession of the monarch, including crowns used in coronation. Never saw any of that in the hands of our present-day “poor” either. (Then again, I never saw anything of its like.)

[null and void]

Is there no god?!! That’s what I say. What say you anonymous person?

I'm an agnostic...

[null and void]

I also say compare my home page to yours before calling me anonymous...

[jmacusa]

The Woodstock Generation hated government. The young brainwashed skulls full of mush worship it.

[null and void]

One word: Bling!

[null and void]

Today’s “poor” don’t have food tasters and/or cupbearers to test their food and drink for poison.

Today's poor have the full might of the government and thousands of "food tasters" in the form of the FDA workers to protect them from tainted food and drink.

[Kickass Conservative]

Me thinks you missed the Author's point.

Today's Poor don't need Food Tasters. The Food they consume is manufactured in hygienic facilities and tested for wholesomeness and purity following Government standards.

The bigger point of the Author's piece is that even the Monarchs and Kings of the day had no access to the modern day conveniences even the poor have access to today. Those same powerful people died of Diseases that are now treatable. Their Wealth and Power did nothing to save them. George Washington, the Father of our Country was bled to death by the Educated Physicians of the day because they thought doing so would cure what ailed him.

[Magnum44]

[Olog-hai]

One cannot prove anything by anachronisms. There are very many things that royalty availed of “less than a century ago” that continue to be out of reach of our poor.

Food tasters’ jobs were not to detect substandard food contaminated by age, but poisoned food and drink.

[deadrock]

We are at the "Good Times Create Weak Men" phase, or the "Success Brings Failure" phase.

[Uncle Miltie]

I find insulting people is a consistently effective strategy for making them allies.

[null and void]

That being said, no offense taken here.

[BEJ]

You got that right!