The only reason someone’s fame carries weight is because it shows they accomplished something. But that in itself doesn’t matter. Titles as a proxy for knowledge in a certain domain. What’s important is that they’re giving sound recommendations.
When a famous actor gives you parenting advice, those words carry weight when they probably shouldn’t. They’re not an award-winning parent. They’re an actor who has mastered their craft and become famous. Even though they’re famous, their words in the parenting domain should not carry anymore weight than any other parent in your town.
Be careful whose words you follow. Prescriptive advice is often a shortcut that doesn’t work. The best advice is an exploration that helps us define the journey for ourselves. Try out dozens of ideas and see which work for you.
What’s special about this is that when we see advice as an exploration, we can find wisdom anywhere. We can learn from people without fame or titles. We can learn from nature and from kids and from art.
There’s something freeing and weightless about living in a world where ideas are everywhere if you’re willing to look around.