Role Models

Whenever I hear about a supposedly impressive individual, whether it be an actor, athlete or other figure, I like to remember this one thing: We are all human beings. No one of us is inherently "better" than anyone else. We've constructed a somewhat belittling social hierarchy. It can even be discouraging at times. However, when I think about it, what desirable traits do these people have? The ability to hit a baseball far?

But, what if we're just admiring the wrong people? Pick up a magazine, turn on the TV, consume any kind of media and what do you notice? Actors, pop-stars, athletes and people who are famous for being famous. Now, don't get me wrong, many of these people are in fact talented. But why are they idolized in our culture? What kind of role models are these people? They are often caught up in drugs, sex scandals and other ridiculous things that our society should not care about.

Why are people in the entertainment business our idols?

Now picture a different society. One that still has these forms of entertainment and they are still valued. But, when you ask an average middle-schooler who his role model is, he doesn't say Peyton Manning, but instead reveals it to be Niels Bohr. How vastly different everything would be! Science and other academia wouldn't be seen as "geeky" but as highly respected fields that everyone should go into. This is the world I want to live in. Although I use science specifically, other scholars are equally important, such as those in literature.

Also, instead of criticizing these role models and invading their lives and privacy with paparazzi, we should respect and encourage their work. Instead of reading about arrests and illegal activities and drama, let's read about feats of engineering and interviews with these esteemed individuals.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that we should set a higher standard for our society's role models. Where pop-stars are held now, violin maestros should be. In place of Dan Brown, Mark Twain. Instead of Paris Hilton,
Erwin Schrödinger. Oh, how different our media would be.


But, maybe I'll just keep dreaming...