So You Want To Be Famous.....

Every morning when I log into yahoo to check my messages,
over on the right side of the main page is a list of 10 or 12
things that are 'Trending' in the world.  
I started thinking how come the only things trending are the movie/internet/TV stars?

As a huge science geek, of course I took it to Scientific American and searched for articles on
this subject. Got some answers I was looking for and just thought I would pass them on.

"In 2012, a study found that a desire for fame solely for the sake of being famous
was the most popular future goal among a group of 10-12 year olds,
overshadowing hopes for financial success, achievement, and a sense of community.
Which raises the question: Why do people want to be famous?

There are six major reasons why people seek fame:
◦Intensity (e.g., “Very little matters to me apart from being famous”)
◦Vulnerability (e.g., “I want to be famous to help me overcome issues I have about myself”)
◦Celebrity Life-Style (e.g., “I want to be rich”)
◦Drive (e.g., “I work hard everyday to be famous”)
◦Perceived Suitability (e.g., “I have got what it takes to be famous”)
◦Altruistic (e.g., “I want to be famous so I can make a contribution to society”)

The predominant motivations for fame involved a perceived suitability
and intensity for a celebrity life-style. Unsurprisingly, those motivations
were most strongly related to narcissism. In contrast, people who were more agreeable
and securely attached tended to be more motivated by altruistic interests,
and conscientious folks tended to be more motivated by drive."

From my own research, I have found that the lower a persons self esteem is,
the higher the wish to be famous, almost like a backwards way or pseudo way
to get higher self esteem. What is important to remember is that self esteem
does not come from out there somewhere and cannot be 'caught' or 'captured'
or funneled into yourself.  

Self-esteem answers the question, “How do I feel about who I am?”
We learn self-esteem in our family of origin; we do not inherit it.

Low self-esteem is a negative evaluation of oneself.
This type of evaluation usually occurs when some circumstance we encounter
in our life touches on our sensitivities. We personalize the incident
and experience physical, emotional, and cognitive arousal.
This is so alarming and confusing that we respond by acting in a self-defeating
or self-destructive manner. When that happens, our actions tend to be automatic
and impulse-driven; we feel upset or emotionally blocked; our thinking narrows;
our self-care deteriorates; we lose our sense of self;
we focus on being in control and become self-absorbed.

Global self-esteem is not set in stone.
Raising it is possible, but not easy.
Global self-esteem grows as we face our fears and learn from our experiences.
Some of this work may require the aid of a psychotherapist.

M