“What is eternal fame? Emptiness,” wrote Marcus Aurelius.
We don’t decide whether we become famous — others do. Fame is outside of our control, and even then, it’s subjective. Do we want to be known in our neighbourhood? Our city? Our country? The world?
If fame becomes our focus, then our attention isn’t on what truly matters. Fame doesn’t last. We may experience brief moments of recognition — perhaps for doing something meaningful in our community or being mentioned by a senior leader at work. It feels good. It boosts our morale. It motivates us to do more.
But we must be careful when the ego begins to swell.
The ego craves attention, and it doesn’t care where or how it receives it. Today, that craving often plays out on social media. We post something funny, sad, or dramatic, and the likes and comments roll in. Each one gives us a small hit of dopamine — a temporary boost to our self-esteem.
We tell ourselves, “People care about me.”
But is that really true?
Some people will post anything online just to get clicks and attention, even if the content is controversial or harmful. They’re not concerned about the impact on others — only what the attention does for them. Their only goal is to be known.
Isn’t that a little sad?
People may remember us for a short time, but eventually the attention fades. And if our true intention was simply to be seen by as many people as possible, we may end up on the wrong side of history. Fame for the sake of fame is the wrong pursuit.
Instead, we should aim to be good, do good, and help others succeed. We can advocate for the vulnerable. We can support friends privately, building trust instead of broadcasting our actions online. We can help in our communities because it’s the right thing to do — not because we want strangers to praise us.
If we are contributing, volunteering, and showing up for others, that already makes us good people. We don’t need validation from the internet.
As Ryan Holiday reminds us, fame “doesn’t even last. So what should we prize instead? We should just focus on doing good, telling the truth, trying our best, accepting what happens, and with humility…”
While we’re here, we might as well do some good — simply because we want to help others. Let’s stop chasing recognition from strangers and focus instead on what good we can create within our immediate circle.
Take care.