In a public setting, such as a party, one should always be civil. Just because we smile and shake hands doesn’t mean we want to jump into bed with each other. Nor does it even mean we want to be in each other’s company beyond the 30 seconds or so it takes to do that.

It’s always struck me that those who insist on baring fangs whenever and wherever they meet people they don’t like are like children who insist the universe must be ordered to their whims. We have to see and deal with people we may not be fond of every day. If you want to behave like a child, go ahead. Just call it what it is and don’t use a pretense of honesty to dress it up.

Political opponents who are interested in getting things done meet with and even have friendly lunches with each other all the time. More good legislation has been worked out on the golf course than in all the public (or private) snarlfests combined.

And just as an aside, anyone who equates a smile and a handshake with “sucking up” or kissing various anatomical regions is just too full of themselves to be possibly be interesting. The world is far wider than that. I’ve been sucked up to before, and *that* doesn’t even qualify as a warmup pitch.

(And if it helps bring perspective to celebrity status, I’d never heard of either you *or* Loren Feldman before reading this post.)

Your micro/nano stardom could be fleeting and the same rules apply to micro/nano celebrities as corporations with the ‘citizen marketer’ concept. You don’t need negative WOM tweets or posts, so just grin and bear it…and move on.

As for the whole phenomenon, it happens in EVERY single sub-culture. My wife is an Israeli folk dancer and people aggregate around the ’stars’ of this world, which believe me, is just not that big.

If you are big, others want a piece of it, for a variety of reasons. The key thing…stay humble to stay on top. My $.02.

It is kind of funny/weird but it has real purpose. I am connecting with more people – and the cyberspace relationship is simply a warm-up act for a real, human relationship.

Of course, as with all things, moderation can be important!

TO’B

Having once traveled with a rock band (definitely not of the famous kind), I saw this passion for living through another’s “fame” firsthand. I didn’t get it then and don’t get it now.

But thank you for your thoughts. I agree that if everyone you meet likes you, you are not meeting enough people ;)

Since you brought up politics, take a cue from some of the most successful politicians, who are defined just as much by those who hate them as those who love them. But they don’t let the haters get in the way.

Sherrilynne: Awesome quote, I use it myself. Thanks for the reminder.