Society needs better role models or none at all.
Over the last few centuries (and perhaps even a thousand years or two), men who’ve attained extraordinary wealth and power are often touted as role models. Nowhere has this been more true over the last century than echo chambers like Silicon Valley.
Just because someone created an X million/billion dollar company shouldn’t make them the North Star of what success as a human should look like. At what cost did they achieve that?
Lately, the billion dollar club seems to be comprised of a lot of dishonest men.
Why should we look up to them? Because they created a ton of wealth for themselves?
While I don’t personally know many billionaires, I’ve had my fair share of interactions with multi-millionaires, particularly in the tech world. A lot of them are assholes who won’t hesitate in choosing money and power over maintaining relationships. They do whatever serves their own interests.
I pity these people. The reality is that while they have money and power, they will be respected and admired by people around them. And as soon as they don’t, society will discard them at the drop of a hat.
That’s not real success.
While real success can transpire in many forms, I do believe its pillars are honesty, doing good for others, kindness and generosity.