Slef-Made

Oh well.  It seems what I hold to is the exact opposite of what is promoted.
From what I see, pushing oneself forward and promoting oneself is seen as a way to get ahead.  Accolades and success go to the one who creates the best image before others.  Character matters less than promotion. 
Though a character is eventually seen to have a major floor, it is encouraged and milked for all it is worth.  When unacceptable floors are discovered, a person is discarded in an instant - and someone else is moved on to.  I see this with advertising.  Sometimes a successful person endorses a company’s product.  As soon as the person is seen to be a liability, they are discarded.
The discarding (for different reasons) I used to see in table tennis.  One country produces champions factory style.  There are so many that when one sustains an injury they are instantly replaced with another.  The person matters less than the success brought.  That may look good for the country but for an individual it is devastating. 
Yet sometimes it seems devastation (though undoubtedly hard to take), can be the best thing that happens, if it causes a reality check.  Rather than live life built on the basis of the transitory illusion of success, life is shown to be a warts and all thing.
Success is good in many things but not success at any cost.  I have used in the past (because I think it is appropriate) that sometimes success is seen as climbing a ladder only to discover the ladder was against the wrong wall.
I honestly think the greatest favour that can be done for an individual is to discover there is no such thing as a “self-made” success.  Success to me is a gift and building on my talents is using wisely something I was given in the first place.
It seems to me the sooner I discover this, the sooner I can get on building success without me at the centre.  For me, that is way more fulfilling for both myself and others.