Who thinks they are successful?
We asked individuals to rate their own success
WHO THINKS THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL?
We asked individuals to rate their own success in life so far
WHO THINKS THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL?
We asked individuals to rate their own success in life so far
How people in the UK rate their success
Considering the common meritocratic view that people have of UK society, it is not surprising that more than half of the population consider themselves to be at least relatively successful. In a new survey, we asked individuals to rate their own success in life so far, using the ten-point ONS personal wellbeing scale. The results revealed that 13% of respondents rated their own success as a nine-ten out of ten, while a further 43% rated their personal success a seven or an eight. However, there is a significant proportion, almost a fifth of the UK who take a far more pessimistic view, rating their success between four and zero.
How are feelings of success distributed?
When we dig under this topline, we find that feeling successful is not simply a measure of external factors like pay, education or home ownership. In common with many other facets of UK life, age is a predictor of self-satisfaction. Put simply, the older people are, the more likely they are to consider their lives to have been a success. This may be because they have simply had more time to accrue achievements, but the strength of the association is such that it sidelines other factors and suggests the mindset of older people is more conducive to feeling satisfied.
This is evidenced by the fact that the demographic most likely to rate their lives a nine or ten out of ten is not individuals with high incomes or successful careers. Surprisingly, it is those who do not possess any formal educational qualifications, with 22% of them attributing themselves high success ratings. Additionally, this group tends to be older, as evidenced by the fact that Baby Boomers identify themselves as the next most successful demographic, where the youngest of them are 58.
Below this we find groups that are less surprising – for instance the proportion who rate their own success as nine or ten out of ten is higher than average in households earning at least £100,000 per year (18%), among Conservative voters and those in the south-west (both 16%), and marginally higher with graduates, owner-occupiers and the self-employed (all 15%).
“It is those who do not possess any formal educational qualifications, with
of them attributing themselves high success ratings.”
At the other end of the table, similar themes emerge in the groups who are least likely to feel very successful. While younger groups – students and those in Generation Z – do score lower (both 9%), the least likely groups are shaped by geography and life chances. Individuals who have been unemployed for an extended period of time are the least inclined to rate their personal success at a nine or ten out of ten. Following closely behind are six per cent of those living in north-east England. Additionally, only eight per cent of people living in rented accommodation and those from ethnic minority backgrounds attribute themselves with a nine or ten out of ten rating for success.
What can success do for us?
Feeling that you are successful in life shows a powerful correlation with perceptions of the world around you. Among those who rate their success in life as a nine or ten out of ten, 62% of those also rate their life satisfaction at a similarly high level. Furthermore, 69% believe that the things they do in life are worthwhile, while 56% reported feeling exceptionally happy yesterday and only 22% reported high levels of anxiety.
But the clearest pattern is in the feeling of control and acknowledgement that is associated with self-rated success. Eight in ten of this very successful group also agree that they feel in control of what is happening in their life. By contrast a mere 17% of those who rate their success as low say the same. And while half of the successful group feel they are given recognition for the successes in their life, this percentage plummets to just 12% among the least successful.
What does it mean?
The perception of an individual’s successes in life is closely intertwined with their overall outlook on the world. Those who feel less successful tend to experience lower levels of happiness, control and recognition for their accomplishments. This issue is prevalent in the UK where (as we will explore), the extent to which people feel they are – or can be – successful is powerfully circumscribed by external factors like geography and age.
“Those who feel less successful tend to experience lower levels of happiness, control and recognition for their accomplishments.”
