Success. Like champagne, it hits you in the head. The person who was hitting rock bottom yesterday feels like the master of the world today. Why does this happen? It seems like there should be nothing but joy. But success is not just pleasant bonuses; it's a powerful neurochemical hit that changes your personality. In this article, we'll discuss how victory turns a modest person into a narcissistic egomaniac and how not to lose yourself at the top.

Hormonal storm: a dopamine hit

When you achieve success (winning a competition, a promotion, a big deal), your brain releases dopamine — the hormone of pleasure and reward. It's pleasant. But the problem is that dopamine causes addiction. The brain craves repetition. People start chasing new achievements not for the meaning, but for the next "dose." Moreover, success often goes hand in hand with an increase in testosterone (in men), which boosts confidence, sometimes to the level of arrogance. Biochemistry temporarily turns off critical thinking. You start believing that you are unique, infallible, chosen. This is what we call "a dizzy head."

Dunning-Kruger effect in reverse

A well-known cognitive effect: incompetent people overestimate themselves, while professionals tend to underestimate. With success, the opposite happens: a person who has reached one peak extrapolates this success to all other areas. "If I'm great in business, then I must be good at politics and parenting." This is a cognitive distortion called "false uniqueness." Success convinces you that you are exceptional, and your opinion on any issue is more important than others'. You stop listening to advice, even if you are a novice in the subject.

Social environment: the trap of flatterers

Success attracts people who want to be around a "star." Sycophants, flatterers, those who need something from you. They rarely speak the truth. The circle of communication narrows to "advisors" who agree with everything. This creates an information bubble. You stop getting feedback. Any of your ideas are perceived as brilliant. Gradually, you lose touch with reality: you start thinking that "people love you," and any attacks are "envy from failures." Your head spins from this echo.

Illusion of control: I can do it all

Success breeds an illusion of control. It seems like you are controlling events, not the other way around. But life is more complex. Success often depends on luck, the right time, help from others. However, people tend to attribute their success to themselves (self-deception) and attribute failures to external circumstances. Over time, this habit becomes fixed. You start taking risks where there is no need for them. Remember the stories of ruined bankers or celebrities who opened their businesses without knowledge and failed. They were simply dizzy with success.

Star syndrome: how success changes your personality

Star syndrome is a complex of behavioral changes: rejecting old friends, switching to "you" with subordinates, demanding special conditions, inability to apologize. The foundation is the fear of becoming "nobody" again. A person starts building walls of status items (expensive watches, cars, yachts) to confirm their significance. Inside, however, there is a void: previous goals have been achieved, new ones have not been set, and hedonistic adaptation makes the pleasure of success more and more short-lived. Your head spins, but there is no joy.

How not to lose your head from success

The first way is to stay in touch with critically-minded people. Make a friend who will tell you the truth to your face. The second is the practice of gratitude and reflection: every evening write down who you owe your success to (not just yourself). The third is to keep learning. Success should not be the end, but a stage. The fourth is to help others. Paradoxically, the more you give, the less you risk becoming conceited. The fifth is not to forget about your former "unsuccessful" self. Keep a diary, read your entries from five years ago. It's sobering.

Conclusion

Success is not the end, but a test. A test of character. Some fail, become tyrants, and end up alone. Others maintain their human face, continue to grow, and remain happy. Your head can spin at any time. It's important to sit down on the bench, drink some water, and look at the sky. It's the same as on the day of your first small success. Don't forget this.
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