Why Success is in the deck
Success comes up in job interviews as something to answer well. On a Thesis card, it’s a word with no right answer and nobody grading it. It sits in the Work cluster, and it can split generations, coworkers and families.
How people read it differently
One reading of success is the ladder: a title, a salary, a bigger house, leading a team. The other is steadier: progress you can keep up, enough money, time for the people you love, a sense of purpose.
Surveys of young adults lean toward the second reading. Deloitte’s 2026 survey in Singapore found that Gen Zs and millennials define career success as steady progress, with few making leadership their goal (Deloitte Singapore). Deloitte’s global 2025 survey, across 44 countries, describes young workers wanting money, meaning and well-being together (Deloitte 2025).
At a table with a parent and a grown child, or a manager and a new hire, the two readings can sit side by side. A player’s version can have a story behind it, like a parent’s job, a first paycheck, or a goal they reached and didn’t enjoy.
The other side: Notebook
The back of the card is a Notebook. It replaced the original object, a Charger, because a notebook carries more story. Asked what they’d save from a house fire, people in one forum thread name sketchbooks and journals, because they hold a whole period of life (Mumsnet). The Notebook side can bring school, diaries or plans.
How to play this card
Draw the card. Choose a side: Success or Notebook. Roll the die. Look at the word from that side.
The die has six faces: MEMORIES, BODY, PEOPLE, VALUES, CHILDHOOD, FUTURE. Say as much or as little as feels right.
The others can follow up, gently and without judging: What did that feel like? Who else was there? Has it always meant that to you?
Success works well in a team or class. Every view is welcome, especially one that differs from yours.
Related words
From the Work cluster: Balance, Work. Close by: Money. See the deck, draw a card in the free online game, or read the research.