Why I stopped idolizing

I have spent a majority of my life idolizing celebrities. In other words, making Gods out of human beings. 

During my early life , it used to be Sachin Tendulkar and Aamir Khan. One bad innings from Sachin and I would lose my appetite for the day. Any criticism of my beloved cricketer will attract angry glares from me. Aamir's movies were superior for me even when they were not. 

Fan following is fun till the time the person being followed is successful and making all the right choices. Things get ugly when they behave like a mortal. Remember the time when Sachin asked for a tax exemption on his luxury car. Media started questioning his request instantly. Why would a billionaire ask for a tax exemption? Why has the government acceded to his request? Will the government be kind enough to allow a similar exemption to a common man? Others argued that he was within his legal rights to ask for the exemption. Irrespective of the moral interpretation, this particular incident broke my heart. I was confused and my idealistic thoughts about him came crashing down. 

While I got over the hurt, this incident led me to think and question the whole premise of idolatry. In my case, I have been lucky to have chosen to idolize largely harmless people and moving on from them when they did not fit in my thought process. But what about those people who end up idolizing their loved ones like their family member or a very close friend. There is no moving on from them and it can get exceedingly hard to break their spell over the mind. Unknowingly, such relationships turn toxic and all consuming.  

I found out some answers on why people idolize: 

• Fame: It is common to have an innate desire for fame and popularity in life. Unfortunately, very few people take concrete actions towards achieving success. Idolizing fills the void created by unfulfilled dreams. 
• Feel good factor: What joy it gives when our favorite player wins the match. For that moment we forget our pains and rejoice in his/her win. 
• Relatability: Some people remind us of ourselves. We see our own reflection in them and sometime relate ourselves with their lives, their deeds, their morals. Following them gives us validation of our own self. 
• Herd Mentality: A lot of times people don't know why they like the person that they like. Going with a popular opinion is convenient and allows people to find their way into peer groups.   
• Blame someone: When the idol doesn't meet our expectations, we blame them for not being full enough. Though we forget that our criticism of them is more of a reflection of our own insecurities rather than their deficiencies. 

While I am still work in progress, I have made some conscious choices to bring a change in my thought process. For starters, I try looking at celebrities as human beings who are capable of all sorts of emotions like hate, love, greed, lust, laughter, etc. 

I now try and focus on my own strengths and positives instead of comparing my idol's 'perfect life' with mine. Even if I want to admire someone, I try not to be blind in my adulation. Blindly following someone will give a sudden bout of pleasure and satisfaction. However, in the process, one loses oneself and that's simply not worth it. 

My new mantra in life - learn from everyone, idolize no one!