Fame

Many people would rather be hated than unknown. In Ancient Greece, Herostratus burned down the Temple of Artemis purely so he’d be remembered. Now we have “nuisance influencers” who stream themselves committing crimes and harassing people purely for clout.

The peak of my influence was also the peak of my misery.

From a practical distance, achieving public success scanned to me as belonging, which is ironic, because what I’m talking about is actually separation: an elevation of my own standing above the crowd. This must be one of the most common misapprehensions about fame, while somehow also being the most cliché.