Our culture often celebrates outcomes, not character. We idolize billionaires without asking how they treat their staff. We celebrate influencers for their reach, not their ethics.
By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden
The Amplifying Nature of Success
Success is a seductive dream shared by many, yet few understand its deeper consequences. We often imagine that money, fame, or power will change our lives, but perhaps the more truthful insight is this: success doesn’t change you; it reveals you. It takes what’s already within you and puts it on the loudspeaker. If your core self is humble, kind, and generous, success will amplify that. If it is insecure, arrogant, or self-serving, that too will be multiplied. This idea, echoed by philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual leaders across centuries, invites us to consider an uncomfortable but essential truth: we should work more on who we are than what we want to achieve.
This article explores the idea that our “real self” is magnified by external success and dives into psychological studies, cultural perspectives, religious teachings, and real-life case studies to understand how and why this happens. Ultimately, it argues that the most important preparation for success is not technical skill or strategy, but inner character.
- The Mirror Effect of Success: Revealing the Core
Imagine holding a mirror up to your soul. That is what success does. It doesn’t add new traits; it simply reveals what was dormant or hidden. This idea is not new. Greek philosophers warned about the intoxicating effects of power. Sufi saints urged inner purification before seeking worldly influence. Modern psychologists call it the “amplification effect.”
When people rise in wealth or fame, they are often freed from external constraints. They no longer need to please others to survive. The social masks fall. What is left is the raw self, now broadcast through the megaphone of success.
- The Ethical Test of Wealth and Power
Wealth and power, far from being neutral tools, are ethical tests. Research by Paul Piff at the University of California, Berkeley, found that people with higher socio-economic status were more likely to lie in negotiations, break traffic laws, and behave less empathetically. The conclusion? Power may reduce empathy and increase self-focus, but only if those tendencies already existed.
This suggests that wealth doesn’t corrupt; it exposes and enables corruption. Likewise, generous people who gain wealth often become more philanthropic, not less. The difference lies in the pre-existing ethical structure.
- Fame and the Fragility of Ego
Fame brings not only admiration but also scrutiny. It puts the self on stage, magnifying not just achievements but also flaws. Celebrities often face a collapse of identity when the public image overpowers the private reality.
Actors, athletes, and influencers have spoken about this dissonance. The late Robin Williams, despite global fame, battled inner sadness. On the other hand, figures like Malala Yousafzai or Abdul Sattar Edhi used fame to elevate causes beyond themselves. The difference? Their core selves were grounded in purpose before fame arrived.
- Real-Life Case Studies: Amplification in Action
Positive Amplification:
- Abdul Sattar Edhi: Known as the richest poor man, his success only deepened his humility. When resources poured in, he expanded service, not luxury.
- Oprah Winfrey: Despite enormous wealth, she invests heavily in education, women’s empowerment, and mental health. Her success amplified a core rooted in empathy.
- J.K. Rowling: After becoming one of the richest authors in the world, she donated much of her wealth and used her platform for social justice.
Negative Amplification:
- Harvey Weinstein: Power revealed longstanding abuse patterns that had been hidden for decades.
- Elizabeth Holmes: Her ambition wasn’t inherently bad, but success magnified a willingness to deceive.
- Politicians who turned authoritarian: Many leaders began with populist promises but used success to centralize power, showing true authoritarian tendencies.
- Cultural and Religious Perspectives
Islam
In Islam, wealth is a test (fitnah). The Quran warns against arrogance and reminds believers that rizq (provision) is from God. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) remained humble despite growing influence. Sufis emphasize inner purification before seeking outer success.
Christianity
Biblical teachings often view wealth with caution: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Success must be accompanied by humility and responsibility.
Buddhism
Detachment is central. Wealth and fame are seen as distractions from the path of enlightenment unless used wisely.
Stoicism
Stoics like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca saw success as external and indifferent. What mattered was virtue, not outcome. True power, they taught, lay in self-control.
- When Success Magnifies Kindness, Humility, and Purpose
Some people grow kinder with success. Why? Because their core self was already rooted in compassion. With more resources and attention, they simply have more power to act on those values.
Example: After winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala didn’t retire into comfort. She built schools. She used the stage not for self-glorification, but for global advocacy.
Similarly, tech philanthropists like MacKenzie Scott have donated billions quietly. Their success became an enabler of large-scale good, not a monument to ego.
- When Success Exposes Insecurity, Ego, and Greed
On the flip side, some people become less likable after success. Their speech becomes more condescending, and relationships more transactional. Often, this isn’t a change, but a revealing of long-hidden traits.
They were always self-centered, but poverty or obscurity forced them to conform. Once successful, they are free to act without a filter. The spotlight exposes the cracks.
We see this with social media influencers who begin promoting harmful or manipulative content once they amass followers. Or business tycoons who exploit systems and people once they gain enough leverage.
- Can the ‘Real Self’ Be Changed Before It Is Amplified?
Yes. That is the most hopeful part of this conversation. If success multiplies the self, then it makes sense to focus on building a better self before chasing success.
This is where self-awareness, therapy, spiritual discipline, mentorship, and moral education play critical roles. Many leaders undergo transformation before their rise.
Example: Nelson Mandela spent decades in prison. That time refined his patience, empathy, and long-term thinking. When success arrived, he was ready.
- Implications for Society: Who Do We Celebrate?
Our culture often celebrates outcomes, not character. We idolize billionaires without asking how they treat their staff. We celebrate influencers for their reach, not their ethics. If we shift our admiration to those whose inner selves match their outer success, we may inspire a more ethical next generation.
Schools, families, and media must play a role in reinforcing this value: Success should be a tool, not a trophy. What matters is not that you made it, but who you became while making it.
Becoming Someone Worth Multiplying
In the end, the question is not whether you will succeed, but what version of yourself will succeed. Because when success comes, it will multiply whatever is within. The real self, whether kind or cruel, humble or egotistical, generous or greedy, will be magnified.
That is both a warning and a call to hope. A warning because unchecked character flaws will grow louder with wealth and fame. A hope because integrity, humility, and compassion can also be multiplied to change the world.
So before we chase the spotlight, we must ask: Am I someone worth amplifying?
Because success doesn’t make us; it unmasks us.
Read: The Spectrum of Leadership
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
