Introduction
In the modern world, fame has ceased to be a byproduct of merit, becoming instead a product of the attention economy and media engineering. In an era of digital noise, recognition often masks a lack of competence, and spectacle replaces diligent work for the common good. Understanding the mechanisms governing visibility is crucial to distinguishing the market value of "clicks" from authentic prestige and the inalienable dignity of the human person. This article analyzes how to reclaim meaning in a world dominated by the cult of self-promotion.
Kołakowski, Warhol, and Boorstin: The Anatomy of Empty Glory
Leszek Kołakowski defines the nature of fame as an amoral mechanism of collective memory. It is not a reward for ethical behavior, but a function of exposure and media infrastructure—evidenced by the survival of the name Herostratus, the temple arsonist. Kołakowski also exposes the paradox of Andy Warhol’s "fifteen minutes of fame": statistically, if everyone were to receive their quarter-hour on air, the broadcast would last 200,000 years. By its very nature, fame must be a scarce resource.
The Matthew effect is central to this process—a mechanism of cumulative visibility: those who are already known attract even more attention, regardless of the quality of their achievements