Mini #5 - Erin Carney

Society places such a huge focus on fame by allowing people to become engrossed in everything that the media feeds to us through television, movies, magazines, and all of the other media outlets. Watching, hearing, and reading about all of “big” things that well-known people do to put them in the spotlight is what makes many regular, everyday people so desperate to do something just as grand. Now I’m not talking about making a sex tape with your significant other and posting it all over the web in order to get people to remember your name. I’m referring to those people who actually did something in their lifetimes worth remembering; people who have broken barriers, cured diseases, adopted poor orphans, won Nobel prizes, etc. These are the type of legacies that normal people probably wouldn’t mind leaving behind.

Not everyone wants to be famous, but I’m sure that deep down inside, a part of everyone wants to leave some sort of legacy behind. When they’re gone, people want to be remembered for doing something worthwhile during their lives. There’s a big difference between people wanting fame, and wanting to leave a legacy once they are no longer with us. I guess the best way to describe the difference is to use the word “humility” with a grain of salt. Most people who want to leave legacies behind do it in a humble manner. They choose to spend their lives acting as a role model for younger generations rather than trying to do something stupid to attract the media. They have hope that when they are gone, their legacies will have had a positive impact on those who follow them. Most of the celebrities who are always in the limelight turn out to be not-so-good role models.

Society almost expects us to leave behind a legacy. Our families, friends, communities try to persuade us throughout our entire lives that we should contribute to something by aiding in a cause, or donating money, or inventing something….all to prove that our life has meaning, and so that people will remember the good work that we’ve done once we are gone. I have a bit of a problem with this. I’m ok with the fact that people are doing good deeds, but I don’t understand why society has to persuade us by giving us a motive to do good things. It’s almost as though we are turning into a bit of a puppet. Society says, “people will remember your name if you do _____.” Because of this, people are less inclined to do just about anything unless it will be grand enough to put their name in some book once they are gone.

When you are gone, you’re not going to care too much if people remember you. I think that “leaving behind” legacies are excuses for some people who really want to be known while they are still alive. We don’t really see too many anonymous donors anymore. Every gift that has been given, has someone’s name tagged on it so that they may be high-fived at a later point in time. People need to feel credited for doing something. In my opinion, this shows us that society is headed more towards the direction of doing important things for the sheer fact of being well-known for doing them.