Fame-seeking is motivated by continued social invitation, not income.
Evidence
After selling twelve million copies of his album Play, the electronic musician Moby became only more status obsessed: “I had been a marginal musician and I was suddenly getting all this attention. Part of me wanted even more attention. So I started thinking in terms of fame and public figure status. I wasn’t even trying to make more money—I wanted to keep being invited to parties.” Status benefits are addictive. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 75
Categorization
- SEED: Moby’s comment that he wanted ‘to keep being invited to parties’ rather than money is a usable opening anecdote for an essay on status versus wealth as distinct motivations.
- XREF: connects to: Academics reject wealth not from caution but from ambition for lasting fame. — G. H. Hardy, A Mathematician’s Apology, 164; Attention and status-seeking motivate people to endure micro-celebrity’s costs — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 409
Broader Connections
- Attention and status-seeking motivate people to endure micro-celebrity’s costs
#expands(0.78) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 409 - Academics reject wealth not from caution but from ambition for lasting fame.
#complicates(0.75) — G. H. Hardy, A Mathematician’s Apology, 164