Whether it’s reaching a professional milestone, attaining a health goal, or doing a good deed, accomplishments should be a source of pride. But sometimes the warm glow of our success is overshadowed by an unexpected side effect—the not-so-positive reactions of other people.
On the one hand, success can benefit others by providing a source of motivation or inspiration. For example, one study found that cancer patients preferred hearing about patients who overcame their illness to hearing about those who were worse off—the success stories provided them with hope and useful information. And research on basking in reflected glory suggests that we often take pride in the success of in-group members, even if we’re not directly involved in it—sports fans are a classic example.
But other times, success is met with less positive responses, and outperforming others can put a strain on relationships and even lead to outright rejection. To read more from JULIANA BREINES, click here.