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Fame is such a bizarre and frankly perplexing concept. It does not equate to achievement, to competence or success per se. It says nothing of the goodness or va

Fame is such a bizarre and frankly perplexing concept. It does not equate to achievement, to competence or success per se. It says nothing of the goodness or value of a person, the wealth they created, the families they raised, the hearts they broke, and very little of the suffering and joy they experienced as actual people. It's an ever-fading trace left in the (mostly) written records of institutions, where the narrow spotlight of social consciousness shone at some time. What I find most interesting as I explore history and civilisation is the marginal web that supports what is "notable". Almost every breakthough has a "revisionist" version of someone else who made a simultaneous advance. Or allegedly had the limelight stolen from them. Every Crick and Watson have their Rosalind Franklin. For every Charles Babbage and Alan Turing there's an Ada Lovelace or Mavis Batey. And yet those are at least "noted". Who and what lies behind those figures in the third and fourth rows of history's group photograph, "fame"?

j7ake 4y ago
When people used to live in small villages and interacted with no more than 50-100 people in a life time, what was valued is completely different from what is valued today. Back then they valued honor and integrity. Now what matters is first impressions, “clout”/fame, and standing above the crowd. In today’s society we no longer value things like domestic affairs, honor, integrity, and humbleness. Now we try to maximise visibility, fame, and brand. There is probably a huge forgotten mass of people who humbly did their work, improved their local communities as they needed, and raised the next generation. Those who specifically seek fame will easily outcompete these humble people.
- nonrandomstring 4y ago
  > Back then they valued honor and integrity. Now what matters is first impressions, "clout"/fame, and standing above the crowd. I think you're right about all those things J7ke. Values have really shifted. Yet that still leaves strange unanswered questions that puzzle me. Most all of the intelligent people I know are deeply unhappy about it. And I've worked with a good few "famous" people. They were all unhappy too. Now we're all older, and great levellers like health, children and life fulfilment have come into play those that survived (drugs and more money than they could handle) are happier being "nobody" again (or at least getting recognised occasionally on the bus by strangers who say "Didn't you used to be...?"). I actually think many who were "successful" and had their 15 minutes feel tricked. Even though they "made it", in the sense of "Being there", they were never there. The cake was a lie. By contrast, my father and grandfather's generation lived through awful, awful times, in wars, rationing, brothers and sisters died, and they were certainly never "on" the TV or Internet. If they had recognition it was a medal and a parade. However they seemed to go to their graves with a sense of having lived. What does it mean then, when we talk about "what matters"? Is "what matters" a cruel trick and illusion? Perhaps a way to rob us of the ordinary well-lived life that really does matter?

j7ake 4y ago

When people used to live in small villages and interacted with no more than 50-100 people in a life time, what was valued is completely different from what is valued today. Back then they valued honor and integrity. Now what matters is first impressions, “clout”/fame, and standing above the crowd. In today’s society we no longer value things like domestic affairs, honor, integrity, and humbleness. Now we try to maximise visibility, fame, and brand. There is probably a huge forgotten mass of people who humbly did their work, improved their local communities as they needed, and raised the next generation. Those who specifically seek fame will easily outcompete these humble people.

nonrandomstring 4y ago
> Back then they valued honor and integrity. Now what matters is first impressions, "clout"/fame, and standing above the crowd. I think you're right about all those things J7ke. Values have really shifted. Yet that still leaves strange unanswered questions that puzzle me. Most all of the intelligent people I know are deeply unhappy about it. And I've worked with a good few "famous" people. They were all unhappy too. Now we're all older, and great levellers like health, children and life fulfilment have come into play those that survived (drugs and more money than they could handle) are happier being "nobody" again (or at least getting recognised occasionally on the bus by strangers who say "Didn't you used to be...?"). I actually think many who were "successful" and had their 15 minutes feel tricked. Even though they "made it", in the sense of "Being there", they were never there. The cake was a lie. By contrast, my father and grandfather's generation lived through awful, awful times, in wars, rationing, brothers and sisters died, and they were certainly never "on" the TV or Internet. If they had recognition it was a medal and a parade. However they seemed to go to their graves with a sense of having lived. What does it mean then, when we talk about "what matters"? Is "what matters" a cruel trick and illusion? Perhaps a way to rob us of the ordinary well-lived life that really does matter?