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Fame Isn't A Goal Worth Pursuing
Execupundit.com: Fame's Limitations. Think of all the millions and billions of wasted hours spent by those seeking fame and fortune. Acquiring a lot of money can be freeing, in that it allows more choice in living; but, even then, a virtuous life depends on the person and not the wallet. But fame is useless. First, it doesn't last. Do you remember the name of the caveman who led the other cavemen in 20,000 B.C.? No? How about the King of England who preceded Henry VIII? We chase fame, and 9 times out of 10, it eludes us. If we achieve it, we complainabout the lack of privacy. Even if we achieve fame for a while, it is a pain. Bill Murray:
"I always want to say to people who want to be rich and famous: 'try being rich first.' See if that doesn't cover most of it. There's not much downside to being rich, other than paying taxes and having your relatives ask you for money. But when you become famous, you end up with a 24 hour job." Marcus Aurelius said it well:
""Consider the lives led once by others, long ago, the lives to be led by others after you, the lives led even now, in foreign lands. How many people don't even know your name. How many will soon have forgotten it. How many offer you praise now—and tomorrow, perhaps, contempt. That to be remembered is worthless. Like fame. Like everything."
September 10, 2019 in Philosophy | Permalink