The theory seems to be that as long as a man is a failure he is

Host: The dim glow of the café’s overhead lights cast a soft warmth over the small room, a quiet refuge from the bustling streets outside. The air was thick with the scent of coffee and fresh pastries, but there was a tension in the space, a silence that was waiting to be filled. Jack sat back in his chair, his fingers drumming lightly on his mug, while Jeeny watched him, sensing the weight of something on his mind.

Host: Finally, Jack broke the silence, his voice low but full of thought.

Jack: “I was reading something from H. L. Mencken, and it struck me. He said, ‘The theory seems to be that as long as a man is a failure he is one of God’s children, but that as soon as he succeeds he is taken over by the Devil.’ It’s cynical, but there’s something about it that rings true, don’t you think? That idea that failure somehow keeps us pure, but success taints us. It makes me wonder — why do we think that way? Why do we view success like it’s inherently corrupting?”

Jeeny’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she took a moment before responding, her voice thoughtful.

Jeeny: “It’s interesting, isn’t it? It’s like we’re taught to value humility and struggle, as though success means you’ve crossed some line, lost something important in the process. Maybe it's because we associate failure with being humble, authentic, or closer to something real. But success — true success, especially the kind that changes your life — comes with power, and power can be a dangerous thing if you don’t handle it right.”

Host: The quiet hum of the café seemed to heighten their conversation, as though their words were cutting through the noise in the room. Jack’s gaze shifted from his mug to Jeeny, his eyes searching, as if trying to find something deeper beneath her words.

Jack: “But then why is success treated like a sin? Shouldn’t we want people to succeed, to rise above their struggles? Why do we demonize people for getting what they worked for? It’s like the moment they reach the top, they’re suddenly tainted, like they don’t deserve it.”

Jeeny leaned forward slightly, her eyes steady and filled with clarity as she considered his question.

Jeeny: “I think it’s not about the success itself, but what success often brings with it. When someone succeeds, especially in a public way, it can make people uncomfortable. It’s as though we expect success to come at the cost of something else — personal sacrifice, losing your soul, or even losing your connection to the struggles that everyone else is going through. People fear that success means you’ll forget where you came from, or worse, that you’ll lose your compassion in the process.”

Host: Jack’s eyes softened as Jeeny’s words settled in, a quiet realization forming in his mind. The world outside the window continued its fast-paced rhythm, but inside, their conversation had slowed, deepened. He let out a soft breath, almost as though he were trying to shed a layer of confusion.

Jack: “I get it. It’s like we fear that success will make someone forget their roots, or that they’ll become consumed by power and ambition. But isn’t that more about how we see success rather than what it actually is? If we demonize success, we’re not giving people the chance to show that success can be handled with integrity. Maybe the issue isn’t success, but what we expect it to do to us.”

Jeeny smiled, her eyes warm, but there was a touch of sadness in her voice as she responded.

Jeeny: “Exactly. I think Mencken’s quote speaks to that tension — the fear that success will lead to corruption. But the truth is, success doesn’t inherently change who you are; it just amplifies what’s already there. If you start with a sense of compassion, humility, and integrity, you can still succeed and hold on to those values. But if you start with the desire for power or recognition, then yeah, maybe success can have a darker influence on you.”

Host: There was a stillness between them, as if the weight of her words was beginning to reshape how they both saw success. Jack’s fingers stilled on his mug, and his gaze drifted out of the window, the passing cars and pedestrians a distant blur in his mind as he processed everything that had been said.

Jack: “So maybe it’s not success that’s the problem. It’s how we pursue it, and what we’re willing to sacrifice along the way. If success means abandoning your values, then I can see why people might fear it. But if success is about achieving your goals while staying true to who you are, then maybe it’s not as dangerous as Mencken suggests.”

Jeeny’s smile deepened, and she nodded slowly, her voice calm but filled with certainty.

Jeeny: “Yes. Success isn’t inherently evil. It’s about intent. If your goal is to uplift others, to create something meaningful, to contribute in a way that benefits the world, then success can be a beautiful thing. It’s the pursuit of success without integrity, without mindfulness of its impact on others, that can lead us down a darker path.”

Host: As the conversation lingered, the café felt quieter, as if time had slowed just enough for Jack to understand the deeper layers of his own thoughts. The light from outside faded, casting long shadows across their table, but inside, there was a newfound clarity. The fear of success, the demonization of it, was no longer about the success itself — it was about how we chose to let it shape us. Jack sat a little straighter, as if something inside him had shifted, a new understanding beginning to form.

Jack: “So maybe we need to start seeing success differently — not as a sign of corruption, but as a reflection of what we bring to it. Maybe success is just a tool, and it’s up to us to decide how we use it.”

Jeeny nodded, her eyes full of quiet wisdom, and the café around them continued to hum, but now their words felt like a shared truth between them.

Jeeny: “Exactly. It’s not the success that defines us — it’s how we handle it, what we do with it, and how we stay true to ourselves along the way.”

Host: The final words of their conversation hung in the air like a quiet revelation, as the world outside continued on, unaware of the shift happening within the walls of the café. Jack and Jeeny sat there, the tension of their earlier thoughts fading, replaced by a mutual understanding — that success, when handled with integrity and humility, could be a force for good, and not something to be feared.