In the end, only the winning king deserves society's recognition

In life, everything boils down to a simple equation: the winning king receives praise, while failure attracts contempt. This reality is not a matter of morality or intrinsic perseverance, but rather of concrete results that shape social perception. If you accumulate profits by speculating on currencies and generate income, your wife will respect you more and your surroundings will recognize your intelligence. But if you end up in debt after massive losses, divorce threatens, criticism pours in, and family members whisper that you are wasting money without seriousness.

The winning king and the loser: two stories of the same choice

So the question is not whether you should persevere or give up. It’s much more nuanced. Losing 1 million today and then losing another million by stubbornly holding on is clearly a mistake. But losing 1 million initially and then generating 10 million by continuing your effort becomes an undeniable victory. The winning king is never defined by the act alone, but by the final result that validates boldness.

Jack Ma perfectly embodies this dynamic. At the time, this brilliant university professor gave up his stability, sold his house, and launched his entrepreneurial project. If he had failed, one can imagine his loved ones complaining: “You were a good teacher. Why did you leave? And that house you sold for barely 500,000 yuan? It’s now worth 10 million.” His wife and parents would have reproached his recklessness, his lack of judgment.

The paradox of the winning king: when persistence becomes prophecy

But the winning king persists. Ma Yun faced doubts, went down to the canteen, bought a bottle of beer and a bag of peanuts, then reflected in silence. If he had simply worked as a teacher, he would never have known this trajectory. The house sold for 500,000 yuan would have become a nostalgic regret. Instead, he created Alibaba, turning this seemingly ruined choice into the foundation of an empire.

Here is the bitter truth: ultimately, the winning king dictates the story. The same actions considered senseless in case of failure become visionary boldness once crowned with success. Perseverance does not justify the choice; only the result does.