Idolization
Source: On Idolization by Matthew Wang
“I struggled with this significantly in high school. I had the pleasure of working with some absolutely wonderful people. We debated together and against each other; ran conferences and events; did community service. I’d constantly rave about how insane, out of the world, and unbelievable they were. It was constant and nagging. It seeped into my personality.”
“You implicitly invalidate any struggles they have, and eschew their private life. Your praise becomes so diluted that it’s meaningless, just another reflex or polite gesture.”
- Recognizing that excessive praise (even if genuine) can be toxic positivity. It sets unrealistic boundaries for how people should act all the time and makes it hard for people to be truly vulnerable
- How can we approach showing appreciation without being over-the-top about it? We can start by acknowledging and normalizing failure: failure resumes and creating safe spaces for vulnerable conversation as well as genuine celebration