Fame is No Sure Test of Merit
Fame, we may understand is no sure test of merit, but only a probability of such: it is an accident, not a property of a man.
~~ Thomas Carlyle ~~ (1795 – 1881)
It’s true; just because somebody is famous doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is meritorious. While many famous people fully deserve the fame they get, there are many others who just manage to become famous without having much merit or capability. They just manage to become famous through manipulation or some other similar accident. Fame is an happenstance; it’s not a property or quality of a person.
On the other hand there are many meritorious people, many a times referred to as unsung heroes, who deserve fame but never get it. Why that happens? Because we live in a twisted world, has always been twisted and will always be twisted; that’s why. :-)
So never automatically assume that because somebody is famous that person must have a great merit. While there is the probability that the famous person has a great merit, one can never be sure as fame is simply an accident or happenstance of the circumstances.
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