Many adults have mutually incompatible ideas of what would make the world better. Many adults are willing to use violence to make their version of the world become a thing. It's not really as simple as saying it doesn't have to be this way.

>good person >good citizen >make the world better

Could essentially be saying, obey and work. A lot of people won't agree that is the ideal life. If that's not how you interpreted it then you have my point.

In fact, most extremely successful people are doing the opposite of those three things and directly deriving their success from it.

If I could stomach being an "Optimal Machiavellian Dad" I would tell my kid:

1. Use people to get what you want.

2. Always take more than you give.

3. You're the only one who matters. Don't empathize with others.

That's the mentality that is consistently rewarded in society today.

It entirely depends what success means to you! Don't let society or even your perception of society define that.

In all fairness, I know that you meant "wealthy and/or influential people". But it bodes ill at every level that your tacit belief about success is widely known and widely accepted (though certainly not universally).

Postman's book is exactly against that definition of success, though he readily points it out. He describes it in the "Gods that Fail" section of the book.

But then are they truly successful?

That you believe those people with all the money are "successful" is actually the entire problem.

Yeah, I'm not stupid rich, but the evidence is that I'm far better put together than Elon Musk emotionally, and even happier in regular day to day life. Which is hilarious because I just had my entire life upended.

But I've never felt a compulsion to pretend to be good at a video game to impress strangers on the internet because I have responded to difficulties and personal failings by bettering myself. I embrace recognizing my faults, fixing them, and knowing that I am human.

Do you want a child like me or a child like musk?