Public perception of success in the U.S. might be totally misguided.
While 92% of people believe others care most about fame and (26)_____, fewer than 10% factor those qualities into their own success. This is according to the newly (27)_____ study by Harvard Graduate School of Education professor Todd Smith. Smith says he was (28)_____ by how past studies on success “assumed what people will care about”. In this study, his team “went the (29)_____ direction” by spending years carrying out individual interviews and group surveys to see what people really talk about when they talk about success.
As a scientist, Smith (30)_____ studied individuality for a living, and even he was surprised to find younger respondents cared more about having a (31)_____ in life. Those between the ages of 18 and 34 prioritized it the most, and that prioritization dropped off as respondents’ ages went up. Perhaps this is because older people had fewer options when they were starting their careers, at a time when values focused more on stable incomes than (32)_____ personal missions.
Other trends included an emphasis on the importance of parenting. Being a parent (33)_____ very high across the priorities of all study participants. Ultimately, Smith hopes institutions will take note of these insights (34)_____.
Higher education institutions tend to focus on preparing students for high-paying jobs. For such institutions, from universities to workplaces, to better (35)_____ people in the U.S., they’ll need to understand “what the American public highly prioritizes,” Smith says.
