Success is a terrible thing and a wonderful thing. If you can

The words of Gene Wilder shine with paradox and honesty: “Success is a terrible thing and a wonderful thing. If you can enjoy it, it's wonderful. If it starts eating away at you, and they're waiting for more from me, or what can I do to top this, then you're in trouble. Just do what you love. That's all I want to do.” In these words lies the eternal double-edged nature of success—a gift that can lift the spirit to joy or chain it with fear. For success is not an unmixed blessing; it is both crown and burden, both light and shadow.

The ancients often spoke of this truth. The Greeks told of King Midas, who prayed for success in wealth until everything he touched became gold. At first it seemed a blessing, but soon it became a curse, for even food and family turned to lifeless metal. So it is with success: when enjoyed with balance, it is radiant; when obsessed over, it devours. Wilder echoes this wisdom in modern form, reminding us that success, if it begins to eat away at you, becomes a prison of expectation rather than a joy of fulfillment.

Consider the tale of Alexander the Great. His victories were endless, his empire vast. Yet when his armies reached India, he wept—not for joy, but because there were no more worlds to conquer. His success had become torment, for he was haunted by the question of how to surpass himself. The fire that once gave him purpose now consumed him. So too do many artists and creators fall into despair, not because they fail, but because they succeed—and then fear they cannot rise higher. This is the danger Wilder warns against: to let success enslave the soul with the hunger to “top this.”

And yet, success can also be wonderful. It can give freedom, opportunity, and recognition. But the key, Wilder says, lies in one thing only: “Just do what you love.” For when love of the craft guides the work, success remains a blessing. When passion burns brighter than pressure, creation remains joyful, no matter what the world demands. Success must be the companion of love, not its master. If love is lost, success turns to ashes.

So too in history we see this path of balance. Michelangelo, though hailed as a genius in his lifetime, cared little for fame. He labored with pain and exhaustion, not to outdo himself or to please the world, but because he loved the act of creation. His success endured because it was born of devotion, not vanity. He did not ask, “How can I top this?” but rather, “How can I serve the art itself?” This is the wisdom that preserves the soul: to let love of the craft, not fear of expectation, be the guiding star.

O listener, take this lesson to heart: success is not the goal, but the byproduct. To chase success for its own sake is to invite torment; to chase love of the work is to invite peace. If success comes, embrace it with gratitude, but do not be bound by it. Return always to the joy that first stirred you, the passion that made you begin. For only there will you find safety from the devouring hunger of expectation.

Practical wisdom follows: in your labor, whether in art, work, or daily life, ask yourself often—Am I doing this from love, or from fear of falling short? If it is love, continue, no matter what the world says. If it is fear, step back, breathe, and return to your first passion. Guard your joy as a treasure greater than recognition, for without it, success becomes hollow.

Thus, remember Gene Wilder’s teaching: success is terrible and wonderful—terrible if it enslaves you, wonderful if you hold it lightly. Do not live to “top yourself.” Live to do what you love. For in that path lies not only true success, but true peace.