During the deepening session, “The Dark Side of Success”, a closer look will be taken at the other side of success. The links between success and its dark side will be explained from a scientific, business as well as a political perspective. The scientific lecture will encompass issues such as the motivation of individuals to be successfuland the lengths to which they will go in pursuit success. The political lecture will be comprised of the differences between the long term and short term view of politicians. Often popular, short term actions are more favored by politicians because this will result into votes for them, meaning that long term prosperity of the country is put in second place. Next, the business lecture will discuss how successful businesses suddenly collapse after a great period of success. The deepening session will end with a discussion.

Scientific Lecture: To what extent will people pursue their goals?

In the scientific lecture of this deepening session, a psychologist or sociologist will explain what makes people pursue success to such an extent that it drives them to do things out of greed and self-interest. Lying and deceiving becomes normal and people do not take the consequences for others in societyinto account . Success can do something to the human brain, causing them to consider only actions that are beneficial to themselves and which makes them even more successful. Also, the manner in which people interact with others can change dramatically.

Business Lecture: What makes successful business fail?

In the business lecture of this deepening session, the main idea which will be discussed is whether there are limits to the success of businesses, based on the Icarus Paradox. Companies often think the sky is the limit. When they are successful for a long period of time, they are subject to several processes. For instance, they become prone to overconfidence and become complacent. In other words, successful companies become blind to the dangers that other developments pose to them. This happens when, over the years, companies begin to focus on the things which made them successful. Initially this serves them well and they become even better at it. However, it will also come at the expense of other products, processes, and viewpoints that the company considers less important and off the mark, which are discarded or brushed aside. As a result, firms are too late to adapt to fundamental changes in their business environments such as new competitors, different customer demand, radical new technologies, or business models.

Political Lecture: Why do politicians sacrifice long-term prosperity for short-term success?

In the political lecture of this deepening session, the potential pitfalls for human society will be discussed. In pursuit of progress and success, human societies introduce problems to themselves for which they do not have the resources or political will to solve. This is in fear of short-term losses in quality of life, status and stability. This prevents further progress. In a progress trap, those in positions of authority (the government) are unwilling to make changes necessary for future survival. To do so they would need to sacrifice their current status and political power at the top of a hierarchy. They may also be unable to raise public support and the necessary economic resources, even if they try. Politicians are prone to take actions in a short-term perspective. They are elected for four years and in those years they want all the best for the country. However, after a governing period, it could be possible they would have to take place in the opposition again. Therefore, they will most likely take actions which will make them popular during their governing period. This means considering only short-term results, while a more long-term focus could benefit the country more.