Why blind idolizing is unhealthy?

“Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized.” — Albert Einstein

Being "star struck" is commonplace, as this phenomenon is fanned uncontrollably by the confluence of forces favored by technology and media. The resulting personality cult flourishes far and wide, including the corporate space.

There’s nothing wrong in admiring influencers or immensely successful people — the billionaire entrepreneurs, celebrities, sportspersons, writers and political leaders. However, where it goes wrong though is, when we program our mind to uncritically accept the way our ‘idols’ exercise their powers (often disproportionate), often without insisting on accountability.

Without taking names, we have a good idea of who some of these idols could be. Most, if not all, of us have surely had these experiences in our lives when our admiration and love for our so-called heroes has come crashing down, on account of their misdemeanors, that’s in sharp contrast to the public image they have painstakingly built over time.

We need to remember that at the end of the day these are “people like you.” Admiring someone and believing that they are special or perfect is fine up to a point, however doing that blindly can be unhealthy. Here’s what you can do to re-calibrate your perception and take a balanced approach.

·??????Look at successful people in their entirety: A fete that anyone else has achieved or a domain that they have mastered, can be easily learned by you as well. Each of you is incredibly capable and powerful, however, you are taught and “programmed” to fit labels on people. Somehow humans tend to look at someone else for motivation or for an idea, based on which you gauge “who” or “what” you are. All I am saying is idolizing someone for their singular success story may be a flawed approach, which needs to be revisited.

·??????Maintain objectivity: Haruki Murakami rightly said, “We're human after all, and everybody's got something a little off somewhere.” Don’t go by public adulation and effusive praise published by the media. And definitely don’t let the “larger than life” image of an individual overshadow their human aspects.

·??????Misdeeds and failures are inevitable: Don’t relegate to the remotest corners of your mind, a person’s misdeeds and failures. Overlooking “human frailties” and going by the popular belief will be your naivety. Also, do not fall into the gullible trap of “hero worship.”

·??????Think logically: Don’t get perceived as a passive, brainwashed recipient. Contrary to this notion, try to be actively subversive in mobilizing your dissent, questioning and even offering your own decisions, while talking to your friends or colleagues about a successful person.

Fully reckoning with a celebrity billionaire or a sportsperson, means not just focusing on how much they respect their team, employees or the authorities—vital as that is—but also confronting your own deep-seated worship of wealth and hardwired belief in hero narratives. The actions of these “favorites” makes it more apparent than ever, that something you can do is shift your perception of famous people, and the expectations that you put on them. Also, probably its time to reframe who you perceive as idols worthy of your admiration.

Do you think you can start practicing this right away?