Why Fame is Unfairly Equated with Destructive Lifestyles

There is a concept in psychology called representative fallacy which among other things outlines a common error in human judgement. That is that we tend to see the hits and ignore the misses. It is easy to incorrectly think that all famous people are destructive and use drugs and party too much and get arrested. This is especially true because we live in a world where everything is broadcast immediately. If Britney Spears runs over a photographer's foot in Los Angeles, the video will be on Youtube in minutes and the media will be talking about it and discussing it. So since we have more available examples of celebrities who are destructive and reckless, we forget that there are tons of them that are quietly sitting at home with their kids or shopping for groceries. And that is because things like that don't get talked about.

The same way you never hear of the old high school classmate that is going to school and staying out of trouble. You're much more likely to hear about the one that's a stripper and is having a baby out of wedlock. We make these associations because they are the most readily available to us.

Of course, this is not to say that being famous isn't trying. You can afford dangerous substances and they are readily available to you. You have no privacy and you work hard just to see nasty rumors about you spread in the tabloids. That would be stressful for anyone. However, there are a lot of famous people that have never gotten in trouble with the law and have never spiraled downward like a lot of the starlets we hear about in the paper. It's just a matter of how well you handle not just fame, but overall stress.

When you really think about it, the same can be said of any job. An investment banker works 80 hours a week and has to keep clients and his boss happy. That person probably has just as much money and access to drugs and prostitutes than your average celebrity. Yet some investment bankers will thrive and become successful and wealthy and others will cave under the pressure and commit suicide. This could happen at any level, from high paying, high status jobs to a middle school teachers or someone working minimum wage.

Destructiveness does not come with fame. It results from someone's personal reactions to life's stressors. These tend to be different for someone constantly in the lime light, but the struggles and choices are all the same. And just as there are many famous people who have come to a crashing end, there are just as many that are well-adjusted and live with their families in Beverly Hills.