Many people throughout history have perceived success as a personal endeavor of improvement only to be achieved by the most diligent and disciplined of souls. However, success has also been associated with proving oneself to be better than those who may have doubted them. This mentality, though motivating and powerful due to its tendency to be fueled by anger, can lead to disappointment later in life when that “success” has been achieved and the one proving themself is left with their goals complete–with nothing else to do. In the context of achieving success through recognition, Steve Martin’s quote–“Be so good they can’t ignore you,”--is powerful in its meaning that, to achieve success, one needs to be better than any chance of not being recognized. Yet, when taken in the context of proving oneself to be better than one’s doubters, it should also be taken with caution… Some successful people have attributed their motivation to vengeance or the idea of proving themselves to be better than any doubt that they may have received. However, it has been shown that this mindset can later lead to a sense of disconnection with the success due to the fact that it was not achieved as a result of one’s desire for betterment, but for recognition to combat the doubters of the past. Those who attribute their success to this kind of motivation may find their inflated egos to become burdens later in their lives. Nonetheless, I believe that proving doubters wrong is an important step in all kinds of success, the problem only arising if you let the desire for vengeance consume you, leading you to rash decisions and a life of anger. If you can allow the doubt to push you further without it being your main driving force, you can allow that doubt to push you further. One of the best examples of this was the pop-punk band “My Chemical Romance.” The band was formed in the early 2000s after the lead singer, Gerard Way, witnessed the terrorist attacks of September 11. Way, after witnessing the victims of the attack leaping from the burning World Trade Center, decided that he wanted to live a different life. He decided that he wanted to express the fear and despair that he felt through music. Thus, the band was formed, releasing their first album in 2002. The story of My Chemical Romance becomes relevant to the topic of revenge in their aptly named second album–”Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge” released in 2004. The album follows the story of a trapped soul doomed to wander the earth with the task of killing 1,000 evil men in order to earn back his freedom. The visceral lyrics and music of the album reflected the band’s appeal to their audience of misfits, providing an outlet for all who felt that they didn’t fit in. The most popular song from this album, titled: “I’m Not Okay,” describes the feeling of being outcast and hurt by the imposing opinions and doubts of others. The album’s vengeful character appealed to all who felt the same feeling of alienation, causing the band to experience a rapid increase in popularity and success, leaving them with the expectations for their next album… The next album provided a sense of context to the message that the band was trying to convey in its career. “The Black Parade” released in 2006, sang about a patient faced with the terror and sorrow of death as he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This album, while carrying the visceral rage in its beginning, progressed into an anthemic realization that traveled through all five stages of grief. The Black Parade, in contrast with its previous album, was not a story of vengeance, but a story of success and growth. As the patient of the story recounts his life and all that came with it, he finds himself more driven and motivated to survive despite the hardship that has been placed upon him, not for anybody’s sake but his own. The Black Parade and its following tour revealed the lesson that the band had always been trying to teach to its audience–that the best revenge is to live well…
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James WilkinsI enjoy writing creative stories, but I find it refreshing to express my thoughts through blogs or journals. Archives
April 2024
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