Success In The Past
 In the past, peoples views on success have changed a lot. success- n: 1 favorable or desired outcome. 2 the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence. ( Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary ) successful- adj: 1 resulting or terminating in success. 2 gaining or having gained success. (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary ). But success has evolved through-out time like Andrew Carnegie and Bill Gates, they may have lived at different times, but still have similar views on success. But it can be said that many people in the past that are successful (or what they depict as successful) have different ways of thinking what is successful. Family, Philanthropy, or just plain wealth are some of the many ways success is viewed in the Past. Also in this essay I’d like to give a brief bibliography in honor of one of the must successful man of his time, Andrew Carnegie, who actions fortify my views on what success in the past was like. Success in the past is a lot different then in the present and possibly in the future, but one thing I can assure you is that success in the past, present, and future all have in common is that us, as human beings, want to be successful.

One way a person in the past can describe what is successful is family. Whether it’s a successor ( Successor-adv: one who succeeds the throne (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary).) or a happy family, most people in the past may think family is important. Large family’s in the past were very common to help the family strive. But it’s the love and care of your family which is important. In the past many immigrants came from country’s all over the world to the U.S. relying on the future generations. I.e. their kids/family, to attain many things like wealth. People also based success on their happiness and having a family they could rely on when they needed them. Family makes you think how fortunate you are to have such a great FAMILY. And fortune is often thought as definition of success. So it can be said that having a loving and caring family is being successful. Andrew Carnegie, for example, left his fortune and business to stay home with his family. Such a industrious and hard working man with a firm grip over his money, left it all behind for his family. Some may think that family is one of the most important part of success that they would leave their incredible wealth just to see their faces every day. Family is your support and is the most important part of success. Unlike money and fame, Family will be there always and that’s why a lot of people think that having a nice family is not only being lucky, but also being successful.

Another topic supporting my thesis is philanthropy. Moral is an important part in feeling successful, keeping in mind that success can be physical and mental. During the history of the united states, many charity’s have formed and that was highly unusual during the previous century. Not many philanthropist were around in the past but those who were donating their money to charity, had a positive effect on history. They prevented people from dying in 3rd world country’s and provided many libraries and schools for the U.S. This in turn had made the U.S. economy relatively successful. Philanthropy was practiced by some patrons, like the famous Andrew Carnegie. Giving away to a “just” cause doesn’t necessarily make the philanthropist successful, but it helps make everyone else successful. Carnegie himself opened hundreds of library’s and schools that many students attended. Those who attended must have set a goal. Then some students attend college and graduate. Then they get a job and start a family. SO it can be said that they are successful if they got what they wanted. Now the thing that most people over look is that why is this person successful. It could’ve been that he was really motivated or even just luck, but no one really takes the time to appreciate the library and school those students attended. It was the free school that taught those students and the free library that gave them the materials they needed to study. The actions of the people who gave there money away have such a great impact of the people today. The success of many people today wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the generosity of others.

Another way a person in the past can describe success is wealth. Wealth is the most common definition of success yet its not the most important. Keep in mind though its still important. In the past, many men and women fought hard to get rich and most of them displayed a natural human characteristic, greed. Millions of people have died on their quest become wealthy and even those who were born rich still sought out ways to make more money. Even immigrants came to this country from around the world and most of them had only the cloths on their backs. They sought out success through wealth. And they used their kin to do this. With their high hopes on extreme wealth, the immigrants worked on low salary or even no salary just to support their families. Wealth, or should I say money, was every immigrants main objective. Thy pushed hard to get it and few actually made it SUCCESSFUL. Such a small piece of paper have so much power over the history of the use and some ones success. I wouldn’t consider some one successful unless they have money. But maybe its all just a huge stereotype. Men looked at Rockefeller and other corporate executives as their idle, they were successful because they were wealthy. But maybe because they didn’t have to much of a family or they weren’t kind enough to other people, they weren’t really that successful or their empire would still exist. Probably everyday they came home, all they thought about was making money but never anything else. This shows that money maybe important but its no good alone. Wealth maybe a keystone, but you still need the other pieces to hold up the wall you call success.


One of the greatest men of his time was Andrew Carnegie. An Irish immigrant, Andrew Carnegie sought to find ways of succeeding in life by and making his mom happy and obtain incredible wealth. This shows that men of the past like Carnegie, both thought family and wealth will help them succeed. Carnegie soon opened a steel mill and totally crushed the iron mills. He soon ran a monopoly and made a lot of money. The reason why I thought that Andrew Carnegie was the ideal example to show how and what success was is because he fit all the Category’s. Andrew loved his family and supported them after the death of his father (who was a miserable failure). In turn, his family motivated him into becoming the best man he possibly can. He even fulfilled his mothers wish to return home in a fancy carriage and laugh at the people who laughed at them. Like I said in a previous paragraph, Carnegie left his industrious ways to spend time with his family. In his heart, he was a successful man. Carnegie was also well known to be one of the U.S.’s greatest philanthropist. He supported a lot of educational buildings which helped the success of other people. In his mind, he was a successful man. From dirt, Carnegie clawed his way up to the top of the industry and made billions of dollars. He once was even the most richest man in the world. With his keen intellect and iron fist, Carnegie ran the most efficient steel mill possible. Always looking for new ways to increase production. He bought into new ideas but with the common sense to know which idea would work and which wouldn’t. In his wallet, he was a successful man.

Love, fame, technology are all good candidates for the question: What is the must important thing to Americans? But realistically, Success is what the Americans in the past sought out to find. By there own blood, they searched for riches and took chances, but some of them perished. Success can be defined into a math like term: Family+kindness (philanthropy)+wealth= SUCCESS. Success is important to Americans because every one wants to be number one. Life and success can easily described in one little theory: Survival of the fittest. In the past, views on success were similar. Andrew Carnegie was my primary example. He was a man at the top, who was one of the few man I would call “TRULY” successful. In order to obtain success, one needs to be in touch with his family. They are our support group and the reason why we try succeeding. The only difference between now and in the late 1800’2 early 1900’s is that we now pushed ourselves more independently because the majority of us aren’t poor. But with the constant worry of food and other basic necessity’s, the family of the immigrants had to be a lot more supportive and unified in order to survive. Many views have changed over the century. Philanthropy is now more common but money is still the same (except for a few new rules and regulations). Money is what is comes to mind when most people think of success. It has always been that way, even during the dark ages. But when you feel as if you did your best with your family, your generous enough to others, and you can live comfortably for the rest of your life, then you maybe successful.


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