The Pitfalls of Hero Worship & Human Models: There is Always a Price

I think growing up, and even as adults, we all have heroes we worship. Whose lives we aspire to and want to live. For me, in the last decade and half it was Tim Ferriss, GaryVee and Elon Musk of course. Which tech person does not want to be Elon Musk, the real life Tony Stark and Iron man. Billionaire Tech industrialist, social media genius with millions of followers who literally is trying to save human civilization. Whose literal tweet can shape the world that few politicians in the world can. 

But like many heroes, you have to scratch much deeper. You can’t just have one part of that life, you have to take the whole thing. As much as I would love the billions of dollars, the incredible impact and influence, there is a trade off like everything in life. No more anonymity. No more just going to the grocery store or mall or local restaurant without being mobbed by paparazzi or fans. Let’s also not talk about how your entire romantic life is now under scrutiny + the 3 divorces because your waking hours are consumed by your multitude of business interests. 

That’s what it takes. We only see the tip of the iceberg. Or better put, we only see the culmination of their success and not the whole journey. We see the last year of their 20 year journey. 

I think about my own life on social media. I get to travel around the world for my business interests and to speak at conferences. I get to invest and work with awesome people and companies. I get to see amazingly beautiful places in the world. How lucky am I?

But I should add this life came at a cost. It took at least 16 years of working 80 to 100 hour work weeks. It took lots of time away from family and home, missing critical years and events in my daughter’s life that I can never get back. It’s led to fractured and challenging home life which is maybe why I continue to travel so much (we’re all cowards sometimes). 

Yet I’m very grateful for this life that I have, I have to take personal responsibility for this. No one put a gun to my head to do this. And overall, I’m where I am and who I am, because of these choices. But for anyone reading this, especially if you are young, “Hero Worship” and modeling can be a useful tool.

Yet you also have to make sure you recognize its limitations too. Understand the price you will have to pay to reach their heights. You will pay a price for whatever you want. Make sure you do it knowingly and intentionally.