I used to believe a lot in role models but after time I began to see them as extremely unhealthy.
1) Role models give you a very rose colored spectacle of another human being. We begin to "value" some human being over others. It starts a comparison model of living and that in itself is dangerous. While I do believe that some humans are more important than others, it's not always productive for people to start placing someone as being better or more perfect than themselves. Which is the inherent flaw of having role models.
2) there is a danger for the "average" low self confident person to see someone else as being perfect. And believing that "perfection" is an achievable thing... Many of our role models have a lot of flaws but no attention is given to them. Except you think sports celebrities like Tiger Woods because it's so glaring lol.
3) Role models show us success, in THEIR way. In some ways it's beneficial to model successful people so that we can learn from them, we must also keep in mind we may not have the same background or "abilities" as that person. For example, many people like bill gates because he is rich. But a man in his 20's wanting to strike it rich by copying bill gate's model is going to have to pick up all the ingenuity and skills of computer design if he wants to be bill gates.
Frankly I like role models. And MR. Luther King Jr. has always been my favorite. But I also recognize he's just a human like me, he is no better than me, and certainly no worse. Because he is successful at HIS goal doesn't make him any more worthy or able, or anything than me. My goal isn't exactly to stand up for black rights (I'm not black). So it's not like I can copy his model and do the same thing, it's only the virtue of his actions I find admirable but we shouldn't revolve our existence based upon someone else's achievements. |