【轻阅读，看世界】What are some of the best real-life examples of "success is the best revenge"?

What are some of the best real-life examples of "success is the best revenge"?

Recently, Superstar Rajnikanth mentioned this amazing and inspiring incident from his life in his speech —

In 1977, after my film Pathinaaru Vayathinile got released, my character was received well and I immediately got some film offers.

For one such film, a producer booked me for a side-character role. But, I wasn’t given the advance payment which I was promised to be paid before the shoot.

On the day of the shooting, when the manager came, I asked ‘I wasn’t paid my 1000 ruppees yet. Can you please...’

He vehemently told ‘Put on makeup first. We will pay you, soon.’

‘You are saying the same thing since the last three days. Pay me my money first. Only then I will wear makeup.’

Just then, a speeding car—white Ambassador—suddenly braked in front of me. The producer got down aggressively from the car.

He saw the situation and shouted ‘Ahaan. So you will not act if I don’t pay you the money! You think you have grown big enough already to demand what you want? You just came. You just did four films. Know where you stand first. I have seen so many people like you. Anyway. Enough. There is no character for you. Get lost.’

‘You only told me that you would pay me. What’s wrong in asking—’

‘No. No. No more discussion. Get out first. You are removed from this film.’

‘Okay. Fine. Whatever you say. Drop me back to my place.’

‘Drop you? Better walk back. Or else, you might have to pay the rental charges for bringing you here. You deserve it for you behaviour.’

I was shocked. I didn’t even have money to buy a bus ticket. I felt insulted and humiliated as I was walking back from the AVM studio.

I still remember what I said to myself when I was walking back. 

Today, may be it is not my time. But, someday in the future, there will be a day when I will come to the same road and to the same studio where I was insulted in my foreign car. And sit inside with my legs crossed and laugh. This will happen.

And

Exactly two-and-half years later,I bought my first car, an Italian Fiat with my remuneration and appointed a foreign driver.

The very next day, the driver came dressed in a uniform, saluted me, took off his cap, bowed and opened the back door for me. I got inside excitedly.

He asked ‘Where, sir?’ I told ‘Go directly to AVM studios.’

I made him drive to the exact spot in the studio, where that producer parked his car two years ago.

I got down, leaned against my car and smoked two 555 cigarettes there delightedly.

That was one amazing feeling.

The best revenge is massive success. As said by Chuck Palahnuik, nothing drives people crazier than seeing someone have a good fucking life.

He didn’t try to get back at that producer. Rather, he wanted to get back at ‘his situation’ that got him that insult. He wanted to fight the latter, as doing so will automatically eliminate many such producers.

The key lesson here is

Insults and brickbats are common. They can happen anywhere.

The ‘fire’ insults have could either be the flame that burns your spirits to nothingness or it could also be the fuel that skyrockets you to success— It all depends on how you want to use it.

Often our weakness never comes from the problem. It comes from your response towards it.

Had that incident not happened, Rajnikanth would have just done the film and gone ahead with many such films.

His success and stardom would have been delayed.

But that incident happened, a fire burnt inside him transforming a character-artist into a superstar.