Photo by Casper Aprikatis on Unsplash
"It is dangerous to let the public behind the scenes. They are easily disillusioned and then they are angry with you, for it was the illusion they loved."
W. Somerset Maugham
Many wish to look through the windows of the wealthy and powerful to study the recipe to their success. But those who have seen the inner workings of power are often disillusioned by their normalcy — imagining that there must be secrets and mysteries but finding tedious simplicity instead.
Though a queen speaks in front of millions, hundreds of assistants hide behind the curtains to ensure that she sounds and appears flawless. Every detail is planned and perfected to maintain the illusion that a star is better than others around them. Though the people desire to see behind the curtain, their disappointment is inevitable: a person's imagination is often more thrilling than reality.
"Glory is like a circle in the water, which never ceases to enlarge itself, till, by broad spreading, it disperses to naught."
William Shakespeare
Beware the seductive voice of glory. A single taste begins its addiction, driving a desire for more and more each day. Its first touch is like a finger pressing into a still pool of water, creating a ripple that grows larger until it reaches the edges. Once the ripple disappears, the stillness of the water suddenly seems insufficient to eyes that have already seen its movement. Like fame and glory, it yearns for more, the finger pressing into it again and again until the water bounces with waves reverberating in all directions. Soon the water is merely a violent tempest — as are the lives of the seekers of glory.
If you seek power, prepare for its seductions. Though many fools drown in glory's pool, the cautious emerge clean.