Would you rather be rich or famous?

Lately I've found myself pondering the age-old question: would you rather be rich or famous?

Do you have your answer?

I've always thought this was a no-brainer. Being rich gives you the perks of being famous without all the drawbacks. You wouldn't have to deal with public scrutiny 24/7, have paparazzi hoarding at your door waiting to catch your every movement and be subjected to hate comments.

Instead, you'd get to live comfortably and do whatever you wanted to do with money never being a concern.

So to go back to the original question, the answer seems obvious: being rich is clearly better than being famous.

But recently, I've started noticing and feeling something that has made me think otherwise.

Have you ever worked so hard on something and put your heart entirely into it, only to have it go unnoticed? Or feel like no matter what you do, you'll only be a single person, lost in a sea of a billion other people whom many are doing greater and better things than you?

Growing up, I've always found myself drawn to reality TV talent shows. American Idol, The Voice, America's Got Talent, even Korean audition shows like K-pop Star and Produce 1O1 - I've watched them all. It's always the same story - young girl or boy grows up dreaming of becoming a star. Through sweat, blood and tears, they've trained their whole lives to hone their skills and hopefully one day, make it big. But just as they were on the verge of giving up, they go on one of these shows in a last attempt to reach stardom. They finally take to the stage and voila- the crowd erupts in cheers and applause after their performance. They did it. They've won over the world and have finally made it.

The unlikelihood of this happening isn't lost on me. For every person that "makes it", hundreds or maybe even thousands have failed. But what's a dream if the odds are in your favor, right?

The world in which we live in now has a lot to do with a growing pressure to "make it big". The world of Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, etc. Every second, people all around the world are showcasing what they're capable of. We have people who are talented singers and dancers who now have a free platform to show their talent. All they need is one viral video to catch the eye of a savvy producer to catapult them onto the path of stardom. If you can't dance or sing, no problem. Now, any unique or strange talent (re: smashing your face in bread, taking the most daring Instagram pics, or just being straight up weird) can be your ticket to fame and riches.

Everyone is an entrepreneur and thanks to social media, we each have a front row seat.

Perhaps I'm thinking about this subject more and more as I approach my mid-twenties. I've been working in video production for almost two years now. I never thought I would be doing this but due to the nature of the job, I've gotten a small taste of being in the spotlight. I've gotten to meet some of the most influential people in esports and had the chance to interview them. Since all the content goes on YouTube, it has allowed me to instantly see the community's honest reactions to the content I produce and myself as a personality.

As "glamorous" as the job may appear to some, it is such a confusing thing. There are times I feel people understand and appreciate my effort and work - other times, I feel misunderstood and hated. In the moments where I feel like people don't like me personally or my work, I start to understand why some people answer 'fame' to the question 'fame or riches'.

Admiration and appreciation is a powerful feeling that ultimately, leads to the feeling of validation. Fame, despite the negativity that comes with it, means that there's a substantial amount of people recognizing your work or you as an individual.

And sometimes, that's more important that being able to buy a nice car or boat, or whatever the materialistic heart desires.

Lisa

#reflection #personal