When success comes
The suttas count gain, fame, and praise among the eight worldly conditions, alongside their opposites, and they say plainly that they come to the well-taught noble disciple and the untaught ordinary person alike; the difference is whether they take over the mind. The good person, in the Buddha's description, reflects that fame ends no greed, hate, or delusion, and does not use it to look down on others. None of this is against success. It only asks what the success is being asked to do.
What the suttas say
So gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain don’t occupy their mind. They don’t favor gain or oppose loss. They don’t favor fame or oppose disgrace. They don’t favor praise or oppose blame. They don’t favor pleasure or oppose pain.
The difference the Buddha draws between a well-taught noble disciple and an untaught ordinary person is not that praise and blame stop coming — both meet them — but that for the disciple they no longer take over the mind.
Where this stops: It describes a disciple who reflects that each condition is impermanent; it is a training, not a mood to put on after a bad review. Not a reply to bullying or harassment at work, and not a reason to say unfair criticism does not matter.
AN 8.6:6.1–6.5 · Worldly Conditions (2nd)
Tassa lābhopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, alābhopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, yasopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, ayasopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, nindāpi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, pasaṁsāpi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, sukhampi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, dukkhampi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati. So uppannaṁ lābhaṁ nānurujjhati, alābhe nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ yasaṁ nānurujjhati, ayase nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ pasaṁsaṁ nānurujjhati, nindāya nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ sukhaṁ nānurujjhati, dukkhe nappaṭivirujjhati.
Soṇa, there are ascetics and brahmins who—based on form, which is impermanent, suffering, and perishable—regard themselves thus: ‘I’m better’, or ‘I’m equal’, or ‘I’m worse’. What is that but a failure to see truly?
Told to the householder Soṇa — ranking oneself better, equal, or worse is one mistake, not three, which includes the person who always comes out worse.
Where this stops: About measuring a self built on the aggregates; it does not say that differences of skill or circumstance are unreal.
SN 22.49:2.1–2.4 · With Soṇa
Ye hi keci, soṇa, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā aniccena rūpena dukkhena vipariṇāmadhammena ‘seyyohamasmī’ti vā samanupassanti; ‘sadisohamasmī’ti vā samanupassanti; ‘hīnohamasmī’ti vā samanupassanti; kimaññatra yathābhūtassa adassanā?
As the wind cannot stir a solid mass of rock, so too blame and praise do not affect the wise.
The same teaching in four lines, short enough to carry into a meeting.
Where this stops: An image of the wise, not a demand to feel nothing when criticized.
Dhp 81:1–4 · 6. The Astute
Selo yathā ekaghano, vātena na samīrati; Evaṁ nindāpasaṁsāsu, na samiñjanti paṇḍitā.
Furthermore, take an untrue person who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. They reflect: ‘I have attained the first absorption, unlike these other mendicants.’ And they glorify themselves and put others down on account of that. This too is a quality of an untrue person. A true person reflects: ‘The Buddha has spoken of not being determined even by the attainment of the first absorption. For however they imagine it, it turns out to be something else.’ Keeping to themselves the fact that they are not determined by that, they don’t glorify themselves and put others down on account of their attainment of the first absorption. This too is a quality of a true person.
Even a real meditative attainment appears in the list of things one can be proud of — the canon's own case of spiritual pride.
Where this stops: The sutta does not ask anyone to doubt or disown a real experience, only not to use it to put others down; questions about attainments belong with a teacher.
MN 113:21.1–21.10 · A True Person
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. So iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ahaṁ khomhi paṭhamajjhānasamāpattiyā lābhī, ime panaññe bhikkhū paṭhamajjhānasamāpattiyā na lābhino’ti. So tāya paṭhamajjhānasamāpattiyā attānukkaṁseti, paraṁ vambheti. Ayampi, bhikkhave, asappurisadhammo. Sappuriso ca kho, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘paṭhamajjhānasamāpattiyāpi kho atammayatā vuttā bhagavatā. Yena yena hi maññanti tato taṁ hoti aññathā’ti. So atammayataññeva antaraṁ karitvā tāya paṭhamajjhānasamāpattiyā nevattānukkaṁseti, na paraṁ vambheti. Ayampi, bhikkhave, sappurisadhammo.
Furthermore, take an untrue person who is well-known and famous. They reflect: ‘I’m well-known and famous. These other mendicants are obscure and insignificant.’ And they glorify themselves and put others down on account of that. This too is a quality of an untrue person. A true person reflects: ‘It’s not because of one’s fame that thoughts of greed, hate, or delusion come to an end. Even if someone is not well-known and famous, if they practice in line with the teaching, practice properly, and live in line with the teaching, they are worthy of honor and praise for that.’ Keeping the practice to themselves, they don’t glorify themselves and put others down on account of their fame. This too is a quality of a true person.
Fame judged by what it does not do — it ends no greed, hate, or delusion — and the true person keeps the practice to themselves rather than putting others down.
Where this stops: Addressed to monks; the target is using success to look down on others, not success itself.
MN 113:7.1–7.11 · A True Person
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, asappuriso ñāto hoti yasassī. So iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ahaṁ khomhi ñāto yasassī, ime panaññe bhikkhū appaññātā appesakkhā’ti. So tena ñattena attānukkaṁseti, paraṁ vambheti. Ayampi, bhikkhave, asappurisadhammo. Sappuriso ca kho, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘na kho ñattena lobhadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, dosadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, mohadhammā vā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti. No cepi ñāto hoti yasassī; so ca hoti dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī, so tattha pujjo, so tattha pāsaṁso’ti. So paṭipadaṁyeva antaraṁ karitvā tena ñattena nevattānukkaṁseti, na paraṁ vambheti. Ayampi, bhikkhave, sappurisadhammo.