成功也會上癮

四川雙流中學 蔣建平

對很多人來說，成功也會上癮，雖然這不是一種傳統醫學意義上的成癮。

題材體裁 文章詞數 建議用時生活 議論文約354 6分鐘

難詞探意

1. inherent /?n?h??r?nt/ adj. 內在的

2. treadmill /?tredm?l/ n. 枯燥無味的工作

3. tyrannical /t??r?n?kl/ adj. 殘暴的；專橫的

Though it isn't a medical addiction, for many people success has addictive properties. This is basically how social media keeps people hooked: Users get a dopamine (多巴胺)hit from the “likes” brought by a post, keeping them coming back again and again, hour after miserable hour. People sacrifice their links with others for their true love and success.They travel for business on anniversaries; they miss Little League games while working long hours.Some give up marriages for their careers—earning the title of “married to their work”—even though a good relationship is more satisfying than any job.

The desire for success may be inherent in human nature. But specialness doesn't come cheap.Success is brutal work, and it requires sacrifices. In the 1980s, the famous physician Robert Goldman found that more than half of aspiring athletes would be willing to take a drug that would kill them in five years in exchange for winning every competition they entered.

Unfortunately, success is impossible to complete. Most people never feel “successful enough”.The high only lasts a day or two, and then it's on to the next goal. For them, satisfaction wears off almost immediately and they must run on to the next reward to avoid the feeling of falling behind. This is why so many studies show that successful people are almost invariably jealous of people who are more successful.

They should get off the treadmill. But quitting isn't easy for addicts. For people hooked on substances, withdrawal can be an agonizing experience, both physically and psychologically. Anxiety and depression are very common after one quits alcoholic drinking, for example. Success addicts giving up their habit experience a kind of withdrawal as well. Research finds that depression and anxiety are common among elite athletes after their careers end; Olympic athletes, in particular, suffer from the“post-Olympic blues”.

Success itself is not a bad thing, like wine. Both can bring fun and sweetness to life. But both become tyrannical when they are a substitute for the relationships and love that should be at the center of our lives.

Reading Check

1. Why are some people called “married to their work”?

A. They are unwilling to marry.

B. They are too busy to marry.

C. They quit marriage for work.

D. They are afraid to marry.

2. What did Robert Goldman find?

A. Social media keeps people busy.

B. Drugs are harmful to athletes.

C. Success is possible to complete.

D. Many aspiring athletes attach importance to success.

3. What does the underlined word “agonizing” in the fourth paragraph mean?

A. Upsetting. B. Exciting. C. Unexpected. D. Outstanding.

4. What's the author's attitude towards success addicts?

A. Tolerant. B. Opposed. C. Unclear. D. Ambiguous.

Language Study

Sentence for writing

This is why so many studies show that successful people are almost invariably jealous of people who are more successful.

【信息提取】“This is/was why...”意為“這就是……的原因”。

【句式仿寫】這就是他遲到的原因。