have a desire to be famous too . According to Orville Gilbert Brim , a social psychologist and author of Look at Me ! The Fame Motive from Childhood to Death , about 30 percent of survey participants in Beijing and Germany — and over half in the United States — report daydreaming about being famous . In these three places , between 30 and 50 percent genuinely expect to acquire some degree of fame in their lifetime , if only for the proverbial fifteen minutes .
Among adults , a desire for fame is usually tempered with a better understanding that fame has its downsides . And the hope of fame , or at least the expectation of it , tends to decline as we get older . Still , the attraction of having all eyes on us is powerful for many .
What ’ s the appeal behind fame ?
Research by psychologist Dara Greenwood and colleagues says that the number one reason people give for wanting to be famous is “ the desire to be seen / valued ( e . g ., ‘ Being on the cover of a magazine ,’ ‘ Being recognized in public ’).” As science reporter Benedict Carey put it in an article on the subject , “ People with an overriding desire to be widely known to strangers are different from those who primarily covet wealth and influence . Their fame-seeking behavior appears rooted in a desire for social acceptance , a longing for the existential reassurance promised by wide renown .” Apparently there ’ s a lot of emotional neediness out there . ( But hey , who am I to talk ?)
I hope you already know this , but let me just say it : You don ’ t need praise or attention to have value . You have value just because you are you . But I get it — it ’ s hard not to desire attention .
You don ’ t need praise or attention to have value .
The desire for applause has probably always been with the human race . The difference today is that media has made fame , or something resembling it , seemingly achievable by anyone . Everyone can put text , photos , music , or videos out there where ( theoretically ) anybody in the world can appreciate it . Multiple platforms are available for us to see how many people ’ s attention we can grab with our viewpoints or self-expression . And in fact , numerous ordinary people have had their pictures or videos go viral almost by accident . I ’ ve got news for you . Only about 0.0086 percent of the world ’ s population is truly famous . And that ’ s just fine . Fame isn ’ t all it ’ s cracked up to be .
Of course , some applause is fine . Some applause is well earned . Some awards go to people who deserve recognition . If you ’ re a leader , you can ’ t have influence with your gift unless you have some followers .
But what is applause doing to you ? Or if you ’ re not getting much applause and you ’ re bitter about it , what ’ s your desire for applause doing to you ?
The problem is , when we live for the applause
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