I didn't fully appreciate what he said until later in life. When I first set out to be a writer, I wanted to make a name for myself. But God had other plans. He has used technical writing to humble me. I hated this field at first because I wouldn't get a byline. But I've come to embrace this as a freedom. The freedom of obscurity.
Being famous is like a jail on all levels. The following isn't exhaustive but here are few reasons why I think fame is a trap:
- Too much pressure to perform
- Have to constantly care what others think
- Your life is utterly scrutinized
- You can lose yourself in the process
- You can get a big head
- You can forget why you love what you do
- Never enough
Too much pressure to perform
Let's start with the too much pressure to perform. You have to constantly perform a certain expectation or exceed it to remain in the spotlight. If you don't, then the spotlight can fade away. Yikes!
Constantly care what others think
Since someone gains a huge following, there's that constant reminder that you must care what others think. You have to match the persona that you built up in others' minds. You have to conform to your fans, agents, producers, sponsors, or whoever is involved in dictating your fame.
Now there are some who are famous who say they don't care what others think. If that's true, then good. But when many say this, do they actually mean it? If they make their fans and others angry enough, they can lose their fame. Is that something they're willing to do?
Your life is utterly scrutinized
When you're famous, your privacy goes out the window regardless what you do. Anything from how your parent your children to what you eat will get questioned or criticized. Who wants this constant nitpicking? How would the critics like it if the same standard were against them? Jesus's words are ever-poignant on this. But it doesn't matter whether this is right. The fact remains that when you're famous are constantly scrutinized and practically dehumanized. This isn't just in the negative sense. You can be dehumanized if think that you're greatest thing since sliced bread. Your fame can turn you in an object to idolize. This leads to my next point.
Losing yourself in the process
With the constant pressures of pleasing others, you can lose yourself in the process. Rather than being yourself, you have to be the thing that others expect you to be. You may have the fame but you're no different than a puppet who performs by the whim of a marionette. Jars of Clay have had something to say about that.
Getting a big head
This is an easy side-effect of becoming famous. The more famous you become, the easier it is to get a big head. You think you are best, baddest, biggest thing of all. But be careful! The Proverbs speak on what happens to those who are prideful. Besides, your fame wasn't completely self-made. You are at the beck and call of those who lifted up and keep you there. Getting a big head has a price.
Forgetting why you do what you love
Another thing that has falls by the wayside with being famous is forgetting why you set out to do what you love. You're more interesting in conforming the mold you've been placed in than remembering your first love about the thing you did in the first place. You may say platitudes to your original mission but is that still true? Or are you interesting just getting more money and fame?
Never Enough
This should be obvious to those seek fame but I don't think it is who are famous. It might be. But being famous will never be enough. There will be someone else who try to take the spotlight. If not, you must constantly perform, as I said earlier, to stay in the spotlight.
Grateful to be in obscurity
I'm not saying fame in itself is bad. But the pitfalls aren't worth it to me. But if you're famous, then great. Stay humble and seek the Lord is all I can tell you.
I thank God that he put me in technical writing. Obscurity is built-into the career. I'm free to speak and write without worrying too much what others have to say. My goal is to make sure that I document things accurately and in a way others can easily understand.
I'm also grateful that my novel wasn't a bestseller. I can imagine in that. I prefer to be an obscure writer. I would love to write more novels but that's not my focus. My focus isn't even on this blog. My focus is on technical writing unless God calls me to do something.
Finally, I'm grateful that this blog doesn't get much traffic because I'm free to write anything I want here. What's the worse that happens? You don't like what I wrote. That's fine. You don't have to. You can close the page and move on.
I'm truly grateful that I live in the freedom of obscurity.
