Fame, what’s the point of aspiring to it?
There really
isn’t any point in making an effort to be famous, just for the sake of fame. The fame many of us will aspire to could actually
be defined as a whole bunch of other stuff. Wealth, recognition, notoriety,
preferential treatment, you get the point. None of these things are actually
fame, but still we hope, dream and aspire toward a life more famous.
So
what is fame?
Fame: “The state of being known by many people"
Well
that was easy, the dictionary definition says it all, doesn’t it?
Hang
on though, it doesn’t really explain why we, as rational humans, would want
fame.
I
believe that many people use the word fame to describe the collection of items
I listed earlier: Wealth, recognition etc.
Once
these trappings have been detached from the definition then surely we would
have to conclude there is no point in aspiring to fame.
Except
this is not what happens. It seems there is a constant stream of
apparently thoughtful, intelligent, free-thinking adults who struggle to
attain the illusive rank of "famous" on an unwritten scale of betterment.
On
its own, fame has very little of measurable benefit to offer.
There
is of course a clear explanation that supports the inner desire to be famous.
It must stem from the need that most of us feel to be part of the greater
group, in a team, defined and classified by wider society in a positive manner.
Everyone
has at some point wanted to show their own level of self-improvement to a naysayer.
To “teach a lesson” to somebody who deserves it. It's a natural response. This is
what fame really is. When all else is stripped away, this behavior is what
being famous is really about.
For
a person to achieve fame they must often have had to work incredibly hard, to
sacrifice or to suffer some hardship or humiliation. This behavior requires quite
a high degree of determination, a good level of motivation. A level of
motivation that likely comes from previous hardship or misfortune.
So
instead of being jealous of the famous perhaps we should respect them, perhaps
we should rejoice in the ability of the human spirit to drive us to absorb our
misfortune and overcome our challenges.
Perhaps
we should pity those who aspire to fame. Maybe we can educate them to aspire to
true success, through application of learning, through consideration for
others.
Wow,
I’m positive today!
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