Happiness is always major concern for most people in every country. When talk about welfare or happiness, thinking that a successful society is the cornerstone of individual well-being, some people believe that in order to thrive, a society must put its own overall success before the well-being of its individual citizens. In my view, the truth of the matter was quite different. The well-being of a society can only be measured by the general welfare of its entire people. A society with universal happiness of each person could easily thrive, but a successful society which a few people suffering could hardly ameliorate the situation. In addition, although a successful society could frequently give people good infrastructure, insurance and public service, a society without welfare of every people in life could not be regard as a truly successful society.

It's very hard for people who are suffering in a thrive society to improving their life. Usually, own overall success of society cannot ensure well-being of every person. There always some people who are suffering at the bottom of the society. Struggling of these people for better life is nearly hopeless. As the amelioration of life of those people easily needs a little sacrifice of most people who are living well, the society inclined to show an unwilling to change. The policy close concerning life of people are mostly passed through democratic vote, so the voice of suffering people is usually weak when they are minority. In addition, superficial thrive of society could veil eyes of government. Authorities in such a society always easily assume that general environment is good so that problem is just a small case. The bottom people would continuously suffer for such assumption. What's even worse is that the criminal rate would rise when such situation continuous. Contradicts hid behind thriving of society would push bottom people into corner. They could do nothing but robbing or stealing. This make the own overall successful of the society ridiculous.
In contrast, thriving will happen without extra effort when general welfare of all people realized in a society. In such a society, everyone is happiness and have similar situation, so there will be little contradicts. When people have a great number of common interests，there will be much smaller impedance in developing of the society. As the development of the society makes all the people enjoy benefit from developing, people will be happier and have suppress contradictions further. Then a virtuous cycle advances welfare of society rapidly. In addition, solidarity within result from the common interest and rare contradicts can make the society survive more easy in harsh environment like worldwide monetary crisis or negative international trade policy. All these characteristics make the society flourish.

Admittedly, society could frequently give people good infrastructure, insurance and public service which are vital to the well-being of people. However, that could only make the life of people better but not resolve problems which are fatal flaws in society development (like religious conflicting and economic crisis). And, actually, one without welfare of every people could not be regard as a truly successful society. For example, China government dedicated to develop national economy and science in last several decades. As a result, China has succeeded in many aspects. However, the widening gap between the rich and the poor now has leads to many contradicts today. Even though the infrastructure, insurance and public service in China have been the best in history, the unrealized general welfare for all people make the society, in effect, not well-being and impede the further development.

In conclusion, successful society could provide for people physical or mental public service, however, only could the general welfare of its entire people measure well-being of a society. The situation which a few people suffer in a successful society could not be ameliorated in a short time but it is easy to thrive for a society with universal happiness of each person.