Success has meant wealth, virtue, excellence, wisdom, personal contentment, or any combination of these, but its definition has flattened over time, particularly in the past few decades. A combination of economic anxiety, aggressive advertising, ubiquitous ratings, and verbal vagueness has led to an emphasis on the external aspects of success--money, status, and appearance. Ranking is especially important. A "successful school" (in education discussion and reporting) is one that has raised test scores; a "successful teacher" or "successful reform" has done likewise. A "successful student" has earned high grades, landed a job with a high salary, or both. In research studies, newspaper articles, and general education discussions, there is far more talk of achievement than of the actual stuff that gets achieved. In this article, the author contends that such talk has resulted in a cult of success that, in its preoccupation with image, money, and power, has distorted what it really means to succeed. (Contains 21 endnotes.)