Google has an amazing tool that lets you see the frequency of a word’s usage over the years across a sample of 8 million books.
From the year 1800 until about 1985, the word “success” was surprisingly steady in its usage across each decade. But then, starting in the mid-’80s and continuing until today, the word began to fall more out of favor each year.
By 2020, the word “success” was used 85 percent less frequently than it was in 1985—a significant change in just 35 years, representing a fascinating shift in cultural values.
Possible Reasons for Disinterest in ‘Success’
I’ll speculate on a few reasons why success may have fallen out of favor over the past generation or two….