Sweet Smell of Success - Mon, Nov 15, 2021
What is success?
Sweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American film noir drama film directed by Alexander Mackendrick, starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison which is one of my favorite noir films. But I’m not going to talk about this movie. While I was listening to movie’s soundtrack suddenly found myself to questioning what success really is and I wanted to clear my thoughts. …
Generally, people think success connected with status and financial terms. But sometimes success just means doing anything well. And even these successes are small achievements, doesn’t mean they’re harmless. Because being successful doesn’t mean it’s always a good thing, that’s arguable. I think there’s very dangerous side of being successful that makes people more unhuman and blind just like the Sidney in 1957 made Sweet Smell of Success.
I love Tony Curtis’s character, Sidney. Because I’m kind of him in real life. Being successful (for my own achievements) is everything for me. Sometimes it made me blind. But always smells good. Feels alive of small doses. On the other hand, of course in my humble opinion, people should achieve for themselves what they want to achieve. OK, but what does this mean? For example, is being liked by others a success? I think it’s not. It’s a narcissistic personality disorder. In these days most people think being liked or recognized or approved on social media is success. I think this is nothing but the consolation of people who have not achieved anything significant in their life, who have not worked hard and cannot produce anything.
For our brain to release dopamine, it must experience a happy event. Some people are happy with the desire to be liked and interested, and dopamine is released. And after a while they become dependent on these desires. Then they try to please themself every minute, every second.
They can do it with status or do it with money or appearance. They have achieved great “success” in a something that nobody doesn’t care about, and they may try to make people accept and like them. This achievement, which is nothing to you, is actually a huge dopamine deposit for them. Isn’t it so? Because,
What will it gain you, other than a few minutes of dopamine, to have everyone ‘so-called’ liking and loving you or your appearances?
Playing while I was writing: Elmer Bernstein – The Street (Main Title)