When famous people give their opinions, many people listen. Should we pay attention to those remarks?

　　When Tom Cruise once appeared in a TV program, he was too excited so he jumped up and down the couch. Later “jump the couch” was adopted in the American dictionary for slang. This is a bit exaggerating, but it definitely reflects the fact that when famous people give their opinions, many people listen. But, should we pay attention to these remarks or actions?

　　Firstly, famous people are “famous”, for they have one or few aspects that exceed common people. Like Albert Einstein once said, “I think and think for months, for years, ninety-nine times the conclusion false, but the hundredth time I am right.” As a brilliant scientist, he speaks of the right attitudes towards science and inspires countless people to fight for the truth. Hollywood actors or actresses, they may talk about their dressing styles or skin cares on magazine. These are all advice that we might as well take, for real life is not just serious academic things but also the satisfaction of living.

　　But the point is that, celebrities are not perfect role models for the public. Once I heard a story about Einstein, saying that he nearly got into the water when he once harassed a young lady and got refused when they were in a boat in a park. Is Einstein evil somehow? No! He’s just being human. Then is it wrong to harass ladies? Yes. But all humans make mistakes. Celebrities are experts in certain areas but not all. In some other fields, they should even learn from us.

　　Generally, there are two extremes when talking about celebrities: the public are either too critical or too superstitious. Objectively, both of the attitudes are unnecessary. As a Chinese saying which generalizes this situation the best goes: to take in the good, while to get rid of the bad.

本文选自《新东方庄重》的博客，点击查看博客原文