For ages, people have been urged to brand their presence with something universally verifiable: a theory, a discovery, something untold or completely unknown that could be brought to general knowledge.
The idea behind those systems was to compare and evaluate. They are still based on the idea of which one is better. I’d rather think about autonomy and independence, not because I can’t achieve similar results, but mainly because I don’t think achieving something is the differentiating factor it’s often thought to be. I also think that achieving something should be a level playing field, so to speak, between you and others.
People who achieve things can and should get closer to their audiences and to those who are directly affected by their achievements, not the opposite. Einstein loved other people, including colleagues, but loved them in a way that was good for everyone. His admiration of others achievements isn’t based on envy or dislike, but on shared enthusiasm for knowledge and innovation.
I believe we could achieve much more if achievism was a shared word in a common practice.