Can something be considered a success if it is accompanied by suffering?

Oppenheimer proved Einstein's equation of mass-energy equivalence. At the moment when World War II ended with nuclear bombs, the nuclear weapons research team cheered. However, Oppenheimer is said to have confessed his sorrow to Einstein. This was because they had just ushered in a new era of human tragedy.

In his book "First Encounter with Art at the Age of 50," Yoo Chang-sun poses this question: "If success is accompanied by suffering, can it truly be called success?" The question of what constitutes success is often perplexing.

For example, if our country's defense industry develops and we export weapons overseas, it is a cause for celebration as it will create jobs and increase the national treasury. However, it is difficult to call this a success because these weapons will eventually be used to kill many people.

It is true that advances in science and technology can lead to more affluent lives for people, greater freedom for citizens, and a reduction in information asymmetry, making the world a more just and equitable place. However, when we witness the reality that violent culture is spreading and being imitated at the speed of light through social media and the internet, we are sometimes left wondering if this is truly progress.

Perhaps success is a function of time and environment. What was once considered a success in the past may turn out to be a failure in the future, or it may be an incomplete success. Therefore, perhaps we should not be too quick to embrace or reject everything. For example, the fear that AI and robotics will eventually destroy humanity should not be a definitive reason for us to stop our pursuit of these technologies.