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Popularity
updated: Dec 22, 2012, 12:00 PM
By Kelsey Abkin
While flipping through the recent issue of Vanity Fair, I came across an article titled "Capote's Swan
Dive." Being an avid fan of books such as "Breakfast at Tiffany's," I decided to take a deeper look. Inside
was an in-depth portrayal of Truman Capote's social suicide, the story of how he exploited the secrets
of those who trusted him in order to gain fame, power, and to climb the social ladder. It was a story of
drama at its' prime, of the destructive path toward popularity and the detrimental fact that people use
other people. It somewhat reminded me of high school.
In no way am I saying high school parallels those cliche movies involving "popular girls" and "cliques,"
however disillusionment still exists as teenagers scrounge to be well liked. Sadly, this desire often leads
to the putting down of others on their way to the top. I don't know what spurs the inclination to be
well-known but I can say that I cannot count on two hands the amount of times I've witnessed high
school teenagers bring down their friends in order to gain momentum, even if just for the moment. This
concept brings up the question of loyalty. We all know that girl/boy in high school who when they speak
everyone listens and who has the ability to make you feel special while also making themselves appear
notable. It's a wonderful yet sometimes dangerous friend to have as they immediately gain your trust. I
guess though, like in the instance of Capote, the world sets it straight. It's unreasonable to say that
people need to be careful with whom they trust as you never really know, however it seems to
constantly be true that exploiting others to get to the top only leads to one's own downfall.
Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)
COMMENT 356723
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2012-12-22 01:45 PM |
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It doesn't stop in high school, it continues for the rest of your life. Be aware of who you share information with,and who you trust. You never know when that trust will be betrayed.
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COMMENT 356727
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2012-12-22 01:50 PM |
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Sorry naive writer, but it's not one to one or even close. Bad people do well in business and life all the time. Especially if you are looking at money or social status That's the fact. Now there are consequences to that, but mostly they just rationalize or are oblivious to it. They did a study and most corporate CEOs are warped people, but that's what makes them great at their job. Success is not guaranteed if you are a good person, but you can have peace in any part of life. It comes by just being yourself. Stay out of mind games. Be thoughtful, honest and kind. Who really cares what bad people say about you. Care about what good people say about you. If they say you are wrong, look into it. It's probably true at some level. We can always get better and opportunities for good are all around you, act on them and appreciate them. This is coming from someone who did poorly when younger and figured it out.
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COMMENT 356859P
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2012-12-22 09:52 PM |
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Psychopaths have characteristics that make them extremely successful entrepreneurs, and are some of the nicest, most attractive, normal-seeming people around. They don't form relationships, they have accomplices and victims, and they recognize and support each other.
Unfortunately, looking back on my memories of high school, I think a lot of the most mature kids who grew up to be successful adults were ostracized as geeks in high school - good jocks and good party animals were a lot more popular, and good gossip was a +.
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