Mini Five, Andrew Damiter

There’s something to be said for not wanting to be forgotten. There’s only so much one can do in a lifetime and the thought of it being all for nothing frightens a lot of people. There are some people that are perfectly content to live their lives and make room for someone else, and there are those that feel being etched into history is the ultimate accomplishment. Death is a frightening reality, but through the thoughts and memories of others it is truly possible to live forever.

People that have left legacies behind are generally great people in their respective field. Julius Caesar will never be forgotten due to his unique approach to being an emperor and simply because his name appears in a vast number of writings. This is not to say that the legacy has to be built on positives. Jack the Ripper, if he actually existed, left behind quite a legacy of terror.

People also want to build a legacy simply because they have seen the admiration shown to those with established legacies. People will attempt to model themselves after a celebrity because they think they can turn that person’s success into their own. It is because of this that some might view legacy building as their one-stop shop for fame. People with legacies are typically successful in some form or another and that drive for success certainly doesn’t deter people from seeking out their own legacy.

Wanting to be accepted and loved is not a new concept. Leaving behind a legacy is a sign of the ultimate level of acceptance, as it takes more than a little bit of renown to achieve such status. While desires to be famous may have risen simply due to over-saturation of celebrity culture within the media, such a desire merely reassures us that we are, indeed, human. We yearn for the approval of others whether we want to admit it or not. A legacy assures everlasting acceptance. Though there are certainly those with shallow goals, the fact that people want to achieve something so great that their very existence is honored for generations says very positive things about the drive we have to better ourselves as a society and as individuals.