Fame and Fortune

What famous people are in the news most at the moment?

Since I mostly follow the news on the equestrian I shall speak about two very famous people in the world of soft training of horses. Frédéric Pignon and Magali Delgado were both born to horse-loving parents in the south of France. They both developed quite radical ideas about the treatment of horses and when they married in 2003 it was as if they had been made for one another. Horses became their passion and their family. Frédéric Pignon has the best job in the world. When he performs with his majestic horses, he gets people to dream. An artist known throughout North America and Europe for his involvement in the shows Cheval Passion, Cavalia and numerous others, Frédéric shares his vision of horses with Magali Delgado. For Frédéric, the horse is a mysterious animal with an unpredictable character. Communicating with a horse involves a very strong desire to understand it. The approach he uses, based on gentleness and patience, helps him establish a genuine bond with his horses. The resulting connection is such that the horses give the impression of wanting to please him. The couple travels around the world giving their wonderful shows and sharing their experience of training horses. They have written many books and have many videos on the internet which amuse anyone who sees them.

Which living person do you admire?

Timothy Walter /"Tim" Burton.He is known for his dark, gothic, macabre, and quirky horror and fantasy films such as the horror comedy fantasy Beetlejuice (1988), the romantic dark fantasy Edward Scissorhands (1990), the musical fantasy-thriller The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), the fantasy adventure Sleepy Hollow (1999), the animated fantasy Corpse Bride (2005), and the animated horror comedy Frankenweenie (2012). He is also known for the fantasy film Alice in Wonderland (2010). For years, Tim Burton has been an acknowledged creative force in Hollywood in a league all his own. His unique visions have even given birth to the phrase, “Burton-esque;” a term that instantly conjures up visions of sights that can only come from the mind of Burton; his films truly have to been seen to be believed. The roots of his creative genius lie in the obvious: unlike some filmmakers who merely to steal from the greats, Burton uses his inspirations more as a canvas onto which he creates his incredible sights for all to behold.

Who is the famous figure from the past/historical figure that you most admire?

Martin Luther King was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. On October 14, 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence. He is very famous for his hot and inspiring speech “I have a dream”

What characteristics do famous people have in common?

1. They know when to stay and when to leave. Famous people know exactly when they should change employers. They have good intuition and aren’t afraid to make hard choices, despite opposing forces. 2. They do more than what’s asked of them. They view their job descriptions as just the beginning of what they can do with their job. After they’ve completed their mandatory tasks, they will always ask to take on more projects that challenge them. 3. They are willing to fail in order to eventually succeed. All successful people know that it doesn’t come easy and they are bound to fail more than they will succeed at anything. They are willing to learn from each failure, as it will help them make better decisions that lead to success later. 4. They know that they make their own luck. Luck is derived from hard work over time and positioning yourself for success. You won’t randomly get lucky. 5. They set real goals that they can accomplish. 6. They take accountability for themselves and their actions. They aren’t relying on other people in order to get the job done. Instead, they are looking inwards and are trying to find the solutions, while leveraging their current assets. 7. They make change instead of being affected by it. Famous people aren’t waiting around to be affected by economic trends. They are the ones who are creating the trends and making things happen. 8. They are able to adjust to changes in the marketplace. 9. They can communicate their story effectively. 10. They ask the right questions to the people who can deliver the right answers. They aren’t afraid of emailing or calling the best person who can answer their questions. They are always prepared with the right questions and are always willing to help the other person out in return. 11. They are life-long learners who push themselves out of their comfort zones. 12. They know who they are and their place in the world. Famous people are confident and can lead themselves, as well as others. They have their own vision and mission and seek to bring it to life on a daily basis. 14. They create instead of just consume. While most people are busy reading emails, watching TV or listening to a podcast, famous people are creating new tools, presentations and coming up with ideas. They are the ones who are making things that other people need instead of being on the other end of the spectrum, consuming them.

A well-known expression is that “Fame is fleeting”. What does this mean?

"Fame is fleeting. Obscurity is forever. I’ll take obscurity." ~ Napolean

Fame only lasts for a little while (hence the phrase '15 minutes of fame'). Obscurity (or being "invisible") is a state that will always last (you'll be invisible hundreds and hundreds of years after you're dead, for example).

Napolean wanted obscurity because it endures, whereas fame is weak and lasts only a small amount of time. It's ironic that Napolean is so well-known today, although eventually he will fade into obscurity just as everything else has, is, and will.

Why is it usually true?

Although fame and fortune may be only glancing in their longevity (five minutes of fame, etc.), obscurity, characterized by little to no societal prominence, can last a lifetime.

Have you ever wanted to be famous? Why \ why not?

No, but I must confess that I am not sure of it because as everything in this life, the fact of being famous has its advatages and disadvantages. On the one hand, I’d like that because famouse people ususally swim in money and that means I would be able to help human societies all over the world. But on the other hand, you have to work very hard, often overtime, you can’t relax as the Mass Media are always waiting for you to fail. You have to be careful with your crazy fans. Well, you just don’t have any private life and everyone expects you to do or not to do something.

Are there any people alive today who you think will be famous in 2000 years? If so, who?

That’s a very strange question considering the fact that we live in 2015… Anywho, I can name the people who were alive in 1990s and are still alive and famous today. Madonna, Brad Pitt, Nicolas Cage, Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Stephene King and so on.