The unusual links between literature and success

  Before watching the video I needed clarification on how literature could be used to explore the topic of success. However, many of the uses for literature were directly related to the words or phrases that I brainstormed earlier. Time management –one of the phrases I brainstormed– was directly related to the first use of literature in the video. Before watching the video, I had always thought of reading literature as a waste of time until the narrator explained how much information we can quickly acquire from reading instead of having to experience it ourselves. The narrator describes literature as the “biggest reality simulator” (0:40) and when it is framed like that, literature seems more like a time saver that would aid in my future success rather than subtract from it. This reminds me of when I made a few investments in a mock stock market game in middle school as a part of a school project. Even though I was not investing real money, I read a few books on the basics of investing which enabled me to make low-risk decisions instead of going through trials and errors, probably losing money, to understand how to play. Another thing I had failed to consider was the morality and ethics of gaining success. When thinking about success, many think about their way up the ladder which often includes stepping on people to reach their goals. The narrator in the video says “Literature forms the basic the basic magic of showing us what things look like from someone else’s point of view” (1:29). This is an important point that I overlooked when thinking about success as it required me to think from the point of view of others which I had failed to consider. Reading about stories from the point of view of the people who were taken advantage of or overlooked would go a long way toward making me more empathetic in the pursuit of success.