6. The speaker here defines success simply as the ability to choose how to spend
' j f; H( X# H) _1 m9 rone's life. Under this definition, people who have the freedom to do whatever they want
- Z% u* H% O/ ]' `+ bat any time they choose would presumably be the most successful ones, while those % J# L. t3 n4 z
who have no such freedom would be the biggest failures. Viewing the definition in this
6 ?7 m; J& A* K. }4 c% zlight reveals three serious problems with it.( p) W% Q- |% A [+ q! \' e
The chief problem with this definition of success is that by the definition nearly
6 n9 ?( @: O5 a5 v# l' d: `all people would be regarded as failures. The reason for this is simple. Most people have
" s5 W. s/ `; X& h$ f Y% iextremely limited choices in what they can do and when they can do it. In other words,
) R( l# Z. n6 _+ u/ t# ?3 p `7 K* junrestricted freedom of choice is a luxury only a few people—perhaps a handful of & Y% j( p7 _; P
tyrannical dictators and ultra-wealthy individuals—can afford.
8 a( N6 f0 }' S3 i Secondly, people who have a high degree of freedom in choosing their lifestyle # d4 U/ H0 H3 G! t4 ~: r
often acquire it through means that would not earn them the accolade of being
" H* k' g' Y: U. ~2 _& j/ ~successful. For example, lottery winners or people who inherit a great deal of money J8 |6 {: {- }( Y6 \7 Z
may be able to spend their life in any way they choose, but few people would regard % y" P* ?0 L8 m) r+ q9 l
them as successful merely due to their financial fortune.
# w& H5 `# N+ ?, j/ F A third reason this definition of success is unacceptable is that it repudiates some
, i9 S& }1 q* L7 B t9 f+ h6 k$ Pof our basic intuitions about success. For most people, success is related to achievement.
( g& d" {+ Q' s1 ~The more you achieve, the more successful you are; conversely, the less you achieve the
8 b7 d }/ v; X* o/ B; |% X4 Gless successful you are. Defining success in terms of freedom of choice ignores this % N; ^. w' Y( b" j
intuition.
* \/ h# i% R) q6 E. m# C* { In sum, the proposed definition of success is far too limiting, and it belies our
' c7 D& j P& v h: Y( c1 rintuition about the concept. I think that most people would agree with me that success is 来源：www.examda.com 9 s+ ]* k" ~7 x9 v
better defined in terms of the attainment of goals. |
发表于 2012-8-15 21:50:16
