So here is the thing: You know how lottery winners often end up bankrupt because they have no idea how to handle so much money at once, and make all sorts of bad choices? Well, fame is a lottery win, except instead of money you suddenly get (relative) power and access. Guess how people do with it.
Can I not have one person I admire just like y’know not let power corrupt them.
Comments
-
If I had a wish usable only to change one factor, I'd wish to break the cycle of abuse from Scientology.
That is: it's the ring of Gyges.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Gyges
Given that I write books, he was paranoid that the same thing would happen to me
Fortunately, MOST writers don't become famous ;)
Fame can taint people, have them thinking everyone knows them, and turning ugly when they don’t. But fame also triggers people to make allegations to ruin others or simply get their 5 mins too. Gotta take news with a grain of salt or go digging.
And if you have to accept the curse of fame, you better get a shed load of money in compensation. Fame without wealth is the worst of all worlds.
Literary fame is more of a challenge, because to paraphrase John Mulaney, you mean a lot to a small group of people.
Mentoring might help, though that's more work for people already busy creating great content.
Plus you have someone who was a nerdy boy in a time when that meant you were always made fun of (and worse) by bullies; add Scientologist parents (and possible abuse).
Give that former boy fame...
None of that is an excuse, of course; but I'd say it probably played a part in what he became.
That's why, for instance, on the rare occasions when I've seen someone famous and it wasn't an autograph occasion, I try to let them be unless they ask for something.
I've read similar from English barristers-the costume and wig means out of court witnesses/defendents don't know them
(Maybe SK paid someone to play him in those old ads? Maybe the 'King' books were written by someone else. Margaret Atwood...?!)
-
If I ever get famous and popular, then I will have to step up my game on character improvement, proportionally.
Official responsibility helps. Even when there is no...
1/3
2/3
-
Humility is possible, even where it is not required.
3/3
(Jimmy Carter comes to mind as someone w/strong guiding principles he carried through his period of immense power.)
Just saying that how you use power says a whole lot about you (the "you" being who you were even before attaining it).
(Brings to mind the different types of reasons that people become police officers.)
I guess the same can be said about seeking wealth, though.
My gut feeling steering me right doesn't mean it always will. And I only predicted "troubled, misogynistic, vain", not... THIS
Though not if information about his early life had been public and given attention.
People who experience that level of abuse and won't ever speak of it again are often badly damaged for life. If I'd known about that....
I'm just zero tolerance for misdeeds now. They get one chance. No more.
I'm literally staring at my bookshelves with trepidation these days. Who's safe to praise and quote and (dare I say it) idolize that little bit as I work on my writing? Anyone? No one?
Instead of concentrating a ton of energy on one author or a franchise, I’m trying to read as many different authors as I can and it’s been delightfully refreshing
I think my quandary cones with who do you recommend anymore? CAN you recommend someone as a favored creator when you don't know them?
Or do you set yourself up for a situation like this?
This also helps prevent our problem of celebrity worship.
(This is the crux of my current existential crisis, by the way)
Though I agree celebrity worship is horrible and needs to go the way of the first iteration of dinosaurs.
-
Idolize people only with their consent. Scalzi has denied that consent. Praise yes, quote yes, idolize no.
And, no, I don't recall anything being said about Le Guinn. Save that she was an outspoken female that males felt intruded on their realm.
And she never liked writing past 8:00 PM.
Assume innocence until proven guilty
or
Stop reading.
But, for now, I guess I'll err on the side of assuming at least moderate innocence.
1. Poor financial education. They have no financial literacy. They have no boundaries to prevent people from sucking up the money.
2. Whatever personality they have is built on after they get the money. If they are shitty that gets amplified.
It's the creatives that have me reeling right now. People who often DO undergo education and miserable lives to achieve success and a modicum of fame.
Ex. Jeff Bezos (evil) and his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott (good).
And realistic.
Honestly, the work, skill, and output are what mattered in the first place.
We naturally project good qualities onto those whose work we admire. A sort of halo effect.
John could be a complete asshole, in person, but that won’t make Redshirts any less funny.
The effect of a work on you is not invalid if the author is a prick.
Never do anything you aren't willing to have plastered across the internet is a rule we seem to have forgotten.
Maybe the trick is to be prepared to grieve and let them go, not to avoid loving them in the first place
Humans are machines built for emotional attachment! It's what we're for!
Loving people is risky, even -- maybe especially -- friends and family. It's awful! It's the best!
Two guys are known as co-founders of the 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous program. One of them, Bill, was interested in a statue. The other, Bob, replied, let's just get buried like ordinary people. Bill honored Bob's prudent humility. (With that story, not with a statue).
However, it turned out Jayne didn't drop the money on purpose. His hovercraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire, and he had to dump the money to escape... After he dumped his partner overboard first.
Jayne was talking to the captain about why that bothered him, and that quote was what the captain said.
That a lot of homosocial environments work on this premise.
Lower caste version of Epstein's island.
Homosocial = all male social environments for those in the back of class.
It's good advice. And it's about the only way to stay relatively sane in this world.
But a nice guy don’t make as many headlines as the trash
-
Sir Terry said to treat people as people, not as things.
They understand how to wield the power created by their parents, but they start to like it. And the ability in the family always runs out before the name-recognition does.
– Einstein
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnjennings/2023/08/29/debunking-the-myth-the-surprising-truth-about-lottery-winners-and-life-satisfaction/
And that's... not going well for him.