- Seven Deadly Stupidities
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- What makes a person great?
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Daniel Boorstin was one of the world’s greatest historians. At one point, he was the Librarian of Congress for more than a decade. In one of his many books titled The Image, he introduces a killer concept:
We have evolved from a society that admired people for their accomplishments (e.g., explorers and scientists) to one that admires people simply because they are well-known (e.g., a celebrity).
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He coined the term “well-knownness.” For the most part, celebrities are known for their well-knownness, not for achievements or contributions to society. We live in a world in which a TMZ reporter telling us about what a television personality was wearing in the airport earns more money than the heart surgeon who literally holds life in her hands every day. The Kardashians are famously famous – as many have quipped – for being famous.
Think about the following important passage from The Image:
We can fabricate fame, we can at will (though usually at considerable expense) make a man or a woman well known; but we cannot make him or her great. In a now almost forgotten sense, all heroes are self-made…
The hero was distinguished by his achievement, the celebrity by his image or trademark. The hero created himself; the celebrity is created by the media. The hero was a big man; the celebrity is a big name…
The truth is we can not make a person great; he must do that on his own. Being good looking and getting your face splashed across the media makes you recognizable, makes you a celebrity, but it does not make you great. A scientist laboring in obscurity then discovering a powerful medicine that could help millions of people — that fits the definition of great.
But, can things happen in reverse? Look no further than Hollywood mega-star Angelina Jolie. What has she done since becoming one of the most famous celebrities in the world? She has spent 20+ years fighting for the rights and safety of refugees across the globe. There’s a young generation that only knows Jolie for her human rights work and maybe later find out she was an actor. She used her celebrity status to do great things.
Key Takeaways
Just because the media makes a person well known, it does not mean he is competent.
When confronting a new individual, try to determine if this person would rather be known for her accomplishments and contributions (definition of a hero), or whether she just wants celebrity status.
Has the media distorted your view of certain people you admire or despise? Take a closer look at what these people are doing when the camera in not on them and you will learn what they are really like.
Trusting the Media is one of the Seven Deadly Stupidities.
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