Two broad paths to success in life
Think about different kinds
Think about different kinds of leaders for a minute. Ever notice that leadership styles vary dramatically?
Some leaders seem to genuinely come across as caring about the broader people whom they represent—and they seem trustworthy, altruistic, and kind.
On the other hand, some leaders seem kind of scary—selfish, intimidating, and even ruthless.
History tells us that there are definitely different pathways toward success and toward achieving leadership positions.
Strategic pluralismIn short, strategic
Strategic pluralism
In short, strategic pluralism speaks to the fact that there is often a plurality of strategies that can lead to success in all kinds of contexts.
In the human experience, there are multiple pathways to success.
On the other hand,
On the other hand, humans evolved in small, tight-knit communities in which social reputation mattered quite a bit.
In this context, demonstrating genuinely other-oriented, caring behaviors has the capacity to facilitate one’s own success in an ultimate sense.
Some successful humans have
Some successful humans have reached the top by gaining the respect and admiration of others by being truly other-oriented, genuine, and kind.
On the other hand, many successful humans have reached the top by lying, cheating, intimidating, and stealing.
The concept of strategic pluralism can help us to understand how this can be.
Bottom lineKnowing all this,
Bottom line
Knowing all this, when it comes to the strategy that works best for you in life, realize that there are choices to be made.
In large part, the strategy that you utilize as you navigate the obstacles of life is up to you.
Dark vs. Light approaches
Dark vs. Light approaches to life
In recent years, work in the field of personality psychology has found that there are reliable differences in the degree to which people tend to employ a dark strategy versus a light strategy in dealing with others.
Under some conditions, an all-out selfish approach leads to success in life—largely via tactics such as intimidation and bullying.
In other conditions, a genuinely other-oriented approach has the capacity to boost one’s social reputation and open the door for all kinds of success in life.
Two broad paths to
Two broad paths to success in life
From this perspective, we can think of two broad paths to success in life. A selfish approach to life, for better or worse, can have its merits when it comes to success.
History is full of all kinds of figures who found success by moving simply toward their own selfish goals.