Quote
corboy
But it illustrates that once people become famous, they cannot afford to be naive--their names lend a sort of halo, a tacit endorsement, and the more famous and publicly beloved you become, the greater your responsibility in managing your fame consciously, responsibly and (this is sad but necessary) doing background checks on anyone who tries to get you to associate with them or with their cause.
And..even if you do associate with someone who currently has a clean record, you need to stay up to date and make sure the person remains honest.
The point you've made causes me to wonder if people who become so proficient at what they do, or so knowledgeable in a specific area ever knew or suspected that their gifts and talents were going to cost so much to develope and offer to the world.
Did they ever weigh the pros and cons of success as they worked their way up to the status they hold? Did they know the sacrifice in lost privacy they would have to make? Is fame something that one walks toward with a naive unassuming air, or is it first calculated out as a worthy and justifiable expense?
I feel for famous people but at the same time I believe that we've all got our own 'cross to bear' and most of us never planned, chose or even accept the particular cross we come to bear. In most instances we would always rather be relieved of the burden it represents.
On the flip side, I can't think of a term to describe how I'd feel if I were the person that a famous individual were cross checking for possible intentions or questionable affiliations. I'd feel like I'd just applied for a loan and had just agreed to have a an integrity check done, only the loan I'd be seeking is just an allotment of time or a contribution to my own interests and seeming menial cause.
Its a complicated cloud that surrounds fame and those who bear it. My knee-jerk reaction to the concept, I don't think I'd want it hanging over me.
I respect and admire those who have it hanging over them to a great extent however, simply for the fact that it is an indication of some unique or exceptional contribution to the public at large. Conversely, I keep this respect limited to people like the Chinese practitioner you've mentioned. I most definately withhold respect from characters who get famous on the blood and sweat of those they have successfully exploited.