Wanting to be famous

Why do we applaud the price of a painting and not the masterpiece itself?

'It’s an honour to be here,' said a neurosurgeon to a talk-show presenter on American television. This seemingly genuine phrase of courtesy made me reflect on today’s values. Being on TV becomes the supreme goal since it is a direct path to fame, which, in turn, leads to validation that we crave so deeply. In such a culture, also a neurosurgeon who operates on brains saving lives on a daily basis finds it an honour to be interviewed by a late-night show host, who talks in an entertaining fashion for a living.