Success is a significant topic throughout our lives and is something we commonly strive for. According to The Journal of Correctional Education, four juvenile delinquent graduates expressed having “an inner desire for positive life outcomes” (Mincey et al., p. 14). While some may doubt the sincerity of these individuals' goals or dismiss their efforts as insincere, a deeper look reveals the rationale behind their choices. For instance- some of these individuals lacked strong role models, and one participant even shared that his father had attempted to end his life (Mincey et al., p. 14). These circumstances shaped how they personally perceived success. It wasn’t that these graduates didn’t care about achieving success- it was that their understanding of what success means, and how to attain it, had been influenced by their unique environments and experiences.
For a more direct look on differing perceptions of success, Steven Pruitt is a strong example. As by far the most prolific contributor to Wikipedia, he puts in countless hours of unpaid work (Barnett), and was even deemed one of the most influential people on the internet by Time magazine (Barnett). This is solely because of his contributions, which are not only uncompensated but typically invisible. As someone passionate about history, and making knowledge free, (Barnett) his massive contributions to free knowledge are Steven’s way of paving success on his own terms.