Why do we fall for celebrities?
ALL WE HAVE GROWN THE MASS OF QUESTIONS TO THEMSELVES AND THE WORLDwith which there seems to be no time or need to go to a psychologist. But convincing answers are not born when you talk to yourself, or to your friends, or to your parents. We started a new regular section where professional psychotherapist Olga Miloradova will answer pressing questions. By the way, if you have them, send to [email protected].
Why do we all fall to celebrities to one degree or another?
Someone is crazy about Beckham, others dream of Ryan Gosling, and still others tend to imitate Jennifer Lawrence in everything, considering her to be her role model. Why for many of us an unfamiliar man is much more desirable than a boyfriend, the advice of a newly-minted star is more important than the parent, and why do we raise this or that celebrity on a pedestal, trying to imitate her in everything, although yesterday we would follow a similar trend without taste
Olga Miloradova psychotherapist
On the one hand, the very fact that we are watching someone’s life creates the effect of being close to that person, even in the case of an actor, when what we are seeing is only a role and life is not real at all. On the other hand, the object of our affection is initially in some way good, because something provided him fame. In fact, it is not so important what exactly he is famous for: whether he is a successful footballer, an excellent actor, or, perhaps, a musician whose songs make you cry, then the so-called halo effect comes into effect, thanks to which our consciousness extrapolates just one thing we know, but good quality to all other aspects of a person’s personality, forcing us to automatically assume that he is perfect in everything. This effect is especially strong if our pet is handsome. Unfortunately, we do have a tendency to confer in absentia to mind, kindness, courage, and other good traits and talents in absentia to more likeable individuals. Of course, in the era of lack of Internet, this effect worked much better when it was not possible to darken your faith in beauty with excessive knowledge (for example, that someone was shooting porn at the beginning of his career), on the other hand, if you wish, you can turn negative qualities into advantages and make the object of affections much more human and desirable (plus, maybe you just like porn, after all).
We believe that gaining fame gives a kind of immortality
There is also an idea related to one of the existential tribute, namely, the one that imposes on all of us the fear that we are all inevitably mortal. At the same time, we believe that gaining fame gives a kind of immortality - the majority still remembers Kurt Cobain, or Jim Morrison, and Choi is alive, as is well known. The involvement of a star in life, or at least an imitation of this way of life, habits, some external characteristics, gives us the illusion that maybe we will somehow fit into their immortality.
There is also the position of evolutionary psychologists, suggesting that man, as a hypersocial being, was initially inclined to create an idol. Only if, at the initial stage of evolution, power and domination were important, as well as the possession of some really useful skills, such as archery, and imitation meant an increase in the chances of physical survival, then over time the value hierarchy has changed significantly. It is assumed that psychological adaptation to cultural learning later arose, and individuals possessing superior knowledge or skills (how to apply a particular plant, optimize a particular adaptation) were considered to be no less significant and revered than previously those who received their own status by force. Thus, it was precisely by copying and imitating new knowledge that spread among the population, ensuring survival and development. Despite the fact that copying the actions of current stars not only doesn’t do anything useful, but can often do harm, it turns out that our genes have a desire to copy a successful pattern of behavior, no matter how perverted it is.