The Influence of Money, Power and Celebrity

What is it about human beings that make us susceptible to people with money, power or celebrity?  I understand this, and have to admit that even I'm responsible for allowing myself to be influenced by these factors at times.  I think that many of us understand what it feels like to meet a celebrity.  You get a "giddy" feeling, you feel nervous, and you don't really know how to act.  This is not uncommon, but why? What is it about a celebrity?  They have notoriety, but are they really any different than you or I?  People with a lot of money often elicit the same reaction.  Is it because we think the we might have access to that money?  Do we feel some connection to power that money brings?  That brings us to the third type of person, and this type might be a combination of those with money and celebrity.  It's those who have power.  It may be an elected official.  It might be someone in a position of authority.  Again, most people feel some level of intimidation when we come in contact with someone who has power, money, or celebrity.  It probably doesn't do much to understand why, although that might lead us to understanding how we might change our response.

I've wanted to make a difference in the world since I was a kid.  It's hard to make a difference without money, power or celebrity.  But even with these, it's hard to make a difference.  Which begs the question, if one wants to make a difference, is it necessary to have connections?  What type of connections? It's often said, "it's who you know."  Ultimately, not the best way for determining who can actually make a difference.  As I watch the "Medicare for All" proposal from Elizabeth Warren, the usual names start coming up.  People who have been in positions of power. People who are well connected.  These are the people driving the discussions and the proposal itself.  I'm not so sure if that's good.

The final part of this whole equation is the question of whether one really wants to use get heard by using the traditional connections of money, power or celebrity.  On a certain level, I understand the concept of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."  On the other hand, there's something distasteful about using the same approaches that everyone else uses.  It would be nice if we could develop concepts through "grass root" approaches.  That's not so easy.  We have to keep trying.