In your opinion, what is the most important characteristic (for example, honesty, intelligence, a sense of humor) that a person can have to be successful in life?
Use specific reasons and examples from your experience to explain your answer. When you write your answer, you are not limited to the examples listed in the prompt.
Personality’ is, in my opinion, the most important characteristic a person can have to be successful in life. Successful people tend to be intelligent, honest, humorous, and have strong personalities. These personalities enable them to cope with and overcome adversity, and to be leaders. People with strong personalities can prosper. The first thing to note about this statement is that ‘Personality’ is preceded by the phrase ‘in my opinion. This is a subjective statement, so the statement should be evaluated on its merits. In fact, based on the author’s personal examples, the traits he mentions do appear to have some degree of importance in the lives of successful individuals. However, the traits he mentions do not appear to be the traits that are most necessary to become successful.
Intelligence and honesty seem to be the two most important traits, and the examples given support this. The author states that successful people ‘can cope with and overcome adversity. However, given the examples he gives, neither trait appears to be critical to success. In several cases, the individuals he mentions showed great courage in the face of adversity. This trait of courage may have helped them cope with and overcome adversity. However, if the author had mentioned traits such as these, they might have been considered less admirable. Having courage in the face of adversity might have benefited the individuals, but not made them successful.
In more cases, when individuals overcame their adversity, it was because of their intelligence. For instance, in the case of Steve Jobs, the author claims that Jobs had ‘intelligence,’ but Jobs’ brilliance was in his ability to create products that were useful and usable. Jobs’ genius, however, was not in his intellect. It was in his ability to create products that the consumers wanted and needed. The products he created changed the world, and Jobs himself was a genius in this regard. The most successful individuals in the world tend to be intelligent, and more often than not, intelligence plays a major role in their success. Intelligence makes it possible for people to solve problems, to come up with innovative solutions, and to think outside the box. It also contributes to problem solving, innovation, and critical thinking. However, if the author had included insight into the minds of others, along with intelligence and a sense of humor, he might have been closer to the truth.
Intelligence is not the only trait that successful people possess. Honesty is also essential, and it plays an important role in the lives of the individuals the author mentions. Whether it was Jobs’ honesty with himself, or Jobs’ honesty with those he worked with, honesty was a critical component of Jobs’ success. Jobs’ honesty was essential to his relationships with the people he worked with. Without Jobs’ honesty, it is unlikely for Apple to have reached the level of success that it did. Jobs’ honesty also enabled Apple to attract others into its fold. Jobs’ honesty was an essential ingredient in maintaining the Apple brand’s integrity. Jobs’ honesty also enabled Apple to attract the top talent in the industry and thus contributed to Apple’s success. In particular, Jobs’ honesty was essential to his dealings with the investors in Apple. Jobs’ honesty was essential to his success, and without it, Apple likely would not have grown into the company it is today.
The author mentions humor as a characteristic that successful people have. However, Jobs’ humor was not of the humorous sort, but rather of the sarcastic or cutting variety. Jobs was notorious for taking jabs at people, especially his rivals, and for ridiculing Apple’s competitors. Jobs’ humor served his own purposes, and it probably made him more successful. By poking fun at himself and his rivals, Jobs was able to disarm them, at least temporarily, and this may have helped him in negotiations and in forming alliances. Jobs’ humor was undoubtedly essential to his business success, and it is likely the reason that Jobs was able to outsmart his competitors. However, Jobs’ humor was not essential to the success of the individuals the author mentioned. The individuals may have succeeded in spite of their humor, not because of it.
In the wake of Jobs’ death, many people, including this author, have pondered whether Jobs’ success was due to his personality traits, or whether it was due to his intelligence. While Jobs’ personality was certainly a valuable asset, it was his intelligence that ensured his continued success. Jobs’ intelligence was essential to putting Apple on the map, and it was essential to his success in contract negotiations. Jobs’ intelligence was essential to his brand. Jobs’ intelligence was essential to his ability to lead. If the traits that he mentions were the most important, then perhaps Jobs would not have had as successful a career as he did. However, it appears that intelligence was the key to Jobs’ success, and it was this trait that enabled Jobs to continue his reign of technological terror.
In conclusion, while some of the traits that the author mentions may be valuable to successful people, intelligence appears to be the most important. Intelligence enables people to solve problems, to come up with innovative solutions, and to think outside the box. Without intelligence, individuals may not be able to be successful, regardless of their other traits.