A large platform means a person is highly visible, not necessarily credible.
By Jennifer R. Farmer
There is something about our culture that idolizes people with power and money. Sometimes, when we see wealthy or powerful people, we confer upon them qualities that they haven’t earned and do not deserve. And sometimes when we see people with large online followings, we may make assumptions that are far from the truth.
We may think that such people are somehow smarter or better than us. But each of us has inherent worth. We may have fewer resources and followers, but we are still worthy. Keep these three things in mind:
1. I remind myself often that power and wealth doesn’t make people error-proof or the authority on all things. We do not need to be obsessed with the lives of celebrities and influencers simply because they have more money than us, or because they have more power.
2. Additionally, it is easy to project on celebrities and people of means our own hopes and dreams. We look at our lives, which seem so complicated, and long for escape. We create fictional ideas of who people are and those ideas suite our own interests. But I wonder if we could acknowledge that just because a person is thriving in one area, doesn’t mean they are thriving in other areas. And just because a person has a big bank account doesn’t mean they are worthy of being listened to in all situations and on all topics.
3. We have a small window into the lives of others. We see what they want us to see. We have no clue whether the image they project is accurate. We see their representatives but that doesn’t mean we know the real person.
We should do our homework prior to entering business relationships. We cannot be so eager that we dispense with due diligence. It doesn’t matter how large a person’s platform is – platform isn’t indicative of character. Next, celebrities are not above reproach. They make mistakes like everyone else, and they are subject to fail. They are navigating major life issues like the rest of us. Just because a person looks good on the red carpet doesn’t mean they are someone we should enter relationship with.
Finally, we must remember that a platform does not confer trust in all situations. A large platform means a person is highly visible, not necessarily credible. It doesn’t mean that a person is an authority on all topics. It doesn’t mean they operate ethically. It means that they have ample opportunity to get in front of large audiences.
Some of the most beautiful people I’ve met are ordinary, salt of the earth people – they may have just a handful of followers if they are on social media at all. And that’s okay. The thing to remember is that having a large platform doesn’t always equate to credibility or character.