Success: personal aspiration or social pressure

The question of whether success is a personal aspiration or social pressure has been the subject of reflection for a long time. Psychologists, philosophers and sociologists have dedicated themselves to the task of unraveling the issue and clarifying the doubts a little.

In that process, There are those who defend that success is a personal aspiration coming from values, internal beliefs and motivations of each person. On the other hand, some argue that it results from social pressure coupled with sociocultural expectations and dynamics.

This article analyzes both positions through the theoretical foundations that support them. Continue reading to discover if success is an individual desire or a pressure that drives you to succeed in life.

Success: personal aspiration or social pressure

Success is a multifaceted idea that varies from person to person. And although it is complex to define, it can be understood as the achievement of a desired objective or goal. In this sense, it is the last phase of a continuous process.

Now, is success the product of personal aspiration or social pressure? Is it born from internal values, beliefs and motivations or from social, cultural and community dynamics? Let’s investigate the foundation of both dimensions.

Success as a personal aspiration

The idea of ​​success as an aspiration highlights that The individual has the power to set his or her own goals and strive to achieve them.. So it comes from the desires, motivations, needs, beliefs and values ​​that define a person.

Therefore, Everyone builds their own ideal of success. For some, it may be a successful career or fame. For others, having economic stability or wealth. It all depends on the person’s aspiration. Below, some approaches that support this notion are detailed.

1. Maslow’s theory of human motivation

In an article published in the magazine Psychological reviewAbraham Maslow stated that There are five categories of basic needs that motivate: physiological, security, love, esteem and self-realization.

All of them make up a hierarchy where the lower ones must be satisfied before moving on to the higher ones. Physiological and safety needs are the most basic, while self-actualization is the highest.

From this perspective, success as an aspiration is a need for self-actualization. It is associated with the development of human potential, growth and satisfaction. So that, Every desire to be successful springs from the desire to self-actualize.

2. Self-determination theory of Edward Deci and Richard Ryan

The theory of self-determination, reviewed in the International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciencesmaintains that there are three basic psychological needs: competence, autonomy and relationship. Supplying them is crucial for functioning and well-being.

According to this approach, Success comes when inner needs are appeased, not when one adapts to cultural expectations.. Since we are headed for growth, success depends on it. In this way, success starts from a personal aspiration.

3. David McClelland’s Achievement Theory

This theory is inspired by Maslow’s and maintains that we are motivated by three basic needs: achievement, affiliation and power. In this context, Success is achieved by satisfying all of them, especially achievement.

According to a work published in INFAD Journal of Psychology was David McClelland who linked achievement motivation with the drive to distinguish oneself, to meet goals, and to strive to be successful.. The basis is “doing something better” and involves acting correctly for the satisfaction of performing well.

In his book, Study of human motivationMcClelland points out that Subjects who have a greater need for achievement highlight their performance on tasks of moderate difficulty. Additionally, they take responsibility for their performance and seek feedback on their role. They also try new ways of doing things.

This is how the theories of Maslow, Deci and Ryan and McClelland support the idea that success is a personal aspiration resulting from internal needs. Self-actualization, competence, autonomy and achievement are key to motivating you.

Success as social pressure

Societies, cultures and communities delimit the standards of success that define them. This creates pressure on people to conform to these expectations and be considered members of the group.

A society may value, for example, the achievement of wealth, recognition and luxuries as synonymous with success in life. Under these conditions, subjects will be pressured to have a successful professional career and earn a lot of money. Some theories that support this conception are the following.

1. Theory of social influence

Scientific Reports indicates that social influence leads people to act consistently with the beliefs and expectations of the group or others. In this way, they end up doing what the majority does, even if they disagree with what is established.

in his book Social psychology, Morales, Gaviria, Moya and Cuadrado state that “social influence processes also accentuate and enhance their effects as forms of intragroup pressure, aimed at promoting identification, cohesion and acceptance of group decisions.” Thus, every person is driven to conform to the standards of the group in question.

The desire to succeed, then, appears as a consequence of the influence of others (society) on the subject. For example, if everyone pursues it in economic growth, the individual will feel pressure to pursue it there as well.

2. Social identity theory

The theory of social identity, referred to in the Encyclopedia of Critical Psychologyensures that People define their identity in relation to the social groups to which they belong. This identification process protects and reinforces one’s own identity.

Hence, the self-concept of the subjects is always in sync with their group or society. For example, many define themselves based on their religion, nationality, soccer team, professional union, family, etc.

From this perspective, success is nothing more than a pressure to adapt to the social identity of the group. If fame is the pinnacle of success for a group, all its members will feel pressured to possess it; Otherwise, your identity would be at risk.

3. Social learning theory

Individuals learn to behave by observing and imitating others. Social learning theory emphasizes the relevance of models to acquire behaviors and adapt to society.

Based on the above, the attempt to adapt to the social environment causes people to adopt behaviors, attitudes and beliefs that they modeled from others. This would influence his search for success, which ends up as a product of social pressure.

In summary, this pressure affects the way success is sought, since societies delimit the parameters of success that define their identity. Theories of influence, identity, and social learning show how people assimilate the expectations and pressures for success that characterize a given population.

Success: personal aspiration and social pressure

As stated, success is the culmination of a process that varies from one person to another. On the one hand, aspiration is conceived as part of the satisfaction of a series of needs: self-realization, competence, autonomy and achievement. In another area, social pressure is seen as the result of the influence of the environment.

In any case, it is important to highlight that both positions are valid. The complexity of success is not reduced to a single human dimension, whether psychological or social. He is a product of both; It is multifactorial and relational.

Therefore, it is concluded that success is the result of both personal aspiration and social pressure. The balance between these planes is the key to building it. Don’t give up and work on your dreams!

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