What a heavy burden is a name that has too soon become famous.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
As the pearl ripens in the obscurity of its shell, so ripens in the tomb all the fame that is truly precious.
—Walter Savage Landor (1775–1864) English Writer, Poet
Some people obtain fame, others deserve it.
—Doris Lessing (1919–2013) British Novelist, Poet
There are names written in her immortal scroll at which Fame blushes!
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
The present condition of fame is merely fashion.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Men’s evil manners live in brass; their virtues we write in water.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
What’s fame? a fancy’d life in other’s breath. A thing beyond us, even before our death.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
He that pursues fame with just claims, trusts his happiness to the winds; but he that endeavors after it by false merit, has to fear, not only the violence of the storm, but the leaks of his vessel.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Fame is the inheritance not of the dead, but of the living. It is we who look back with lofty pride to the great names of antiquity.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
The fame of great men ought to be judged always by the means they used to acquire it.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
It is a short walk from the hallelujah to the hoot.
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977) Russian-born American Novelist
Fame is the echo of actions, resounding them to the world, save that the echo repeats only the last art, but fame relates all, and often more than all.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
The temple of fame stands upon the grave; the flame upon its altars is kindled from the ashes of the dead.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
It’s all fleeting. As fame is fleeting, so are all the trappings of fame fleeting. The money, the clothes, the furniture.
—Johnny Cash (1932–2003) American Country Music Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist
Fortune is no real thing.
But men who cannot bear what comes to them
In Nature’s way, give their own characters
The name of Fortune.
—Menander (c.343–c.291 BCE) Greek Comic Dramatist, Poet
Let us not disdain glory too much; nothing is finer, except virtue. The height of happiness would be to unite both in this life.
—Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand (1768–1848) French Writer, Academician, Statesman
I won’t be happy till I’m as famous as God.
—Madonna (b.1958) American Pop Singer, Actress
Now there is fame! Of all—hunger, misery, the incomprehension by the public—fame is by far the worst. It is the castigation of God by the artist. It is sad. It is true.
—Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) Spanish Painter, Sculptor, Artist
The longer a man’s fame is likely to last, the longer it will be in coming.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
Immortality is not a gift, Immortality is an achievement; And only those who strive mightily Shall possess it.
—Edgar Lee Masters (1869–1950) American Poet, Novelist
Celebrity is a mask that eats into the face. As soon as one is aware of being “somebody,” to be watched and listened to with extra interest, input ceases, and the performer goes blind and deaf in his over-animation. One can either see or be seen.
—John Updike (1932–2009) American Novelist, Poet, Short-Story Writer
But the iniquity of oblivion blindly scattereth her poppy, and deals with the memory of men without distinction to merit of perpetuity.
—Thomas Browne (1605–82) English Author, Physician
Much more frequent in Hollywood than the emergence of Cinderella is her sudden vanishing. At our party, even in those glowing days, the clock was always striking twelve for someone at the height of greatness; and there was never a prince to fetch her back to the happy scene.
—Ben Hecht (1894–1964) American Screenwriter, Playwright
The day will come when everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.
—Andy Warhol (1928–87) American Painter, Printmaker, Film Personality
The fame of men ought always to be estimated by the means used to acquire it.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Celerity is never more admired than by the negligent.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The way to fame is like the way to heaven, through much tribulation.
—Laurence Sterne (1713–68) Irish Anglican Novelist, Clergyman
Spring is a natural resurrection, an experience in immortality.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
If you come to fame not understanding who you are, it will define who you are.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality
Each man has his appointed day: short and irreparable in the brief life of all, but to extend our fame by our deeds, this is the work of mankind.
—Virgil (70–19 BCE) Roman Poet
Heartthrobs are a dime a dozen.
—Brad Pitt (b.1963) American Actor
Fame is like a shaved pig with a greased tail, and it is only after it has slipped through the hands of some thousands, that some fellow, by mere chance, holds on to it!
—Davy Crockett (1786–1836) American Frontiersman, Politician
Fame you get accustomed to, but if it ever takes possession of you, then quite clearly you’re in dead trouble.
—Richard Burton (1925–84) Welsh Actor
The easiest kind of relationship is with ten thousand people, the hardest is with one.
—Joan Baez (b.1941) American Singer, Songwriter, Musician
Fame is an illusive thing—here today, gone tomorrow. The fickle, shallow mob raises its heroes to the pinnacle of approval today and hurls them into oblivion tomorrow at the slightest whim; cheers today, hisses tomorrow; utter forgetfulness in a few months.
—Henry Miller (1891–1980) American Novelist
The stars are the apexes of what triangles!
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
If you modestly enjoy your fame you are not unworthy to rank with the holy.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Suppose your candidate for fame pursues unremittingly the object of his love, through every difficulty and over every obstacle, till at last he overtakes her ladyship, and is permitted to kiss the hem of her garment on mount immortality, what will the dear-bought damsel boot him? If he take her to his bosom, she has no flesh and blood to warm it. If he taste of her lip, there is no more nectar in it than there are sunbeams in a cucumber.—Every rascal who has been bold and fearless enough, Nimrod, Cataline, and Tom Paine, all have had a smack at her before him: They have all more or less become famous, and will be remembered much longer than better men.
—Daniel Webster (1782–1852) American Statesman, Lawyer
I am not concerned that I am not known, I seek to be worthy to be known.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Good fame is like fire; when you have kindled you may easily preserve it; but if you extinguish it, you will not easily kindle it again.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
In the march up the heights of fame there comes a spot close to the summit in which man reads nothing but detective stories.
—Heywood Broun (1888–1939) American Journalist
Fame comes only when deserved, and then is as inevitable as destiny, for it is destiny.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
In Hollywood now when people die they don’t say, “Did he leave a will?” but “Did he leave a diary?”
—Liza Minnelli (b.1946) American Singer, Actress
It is dangerous to let the public behind the scenes. They are easily disillusioned and then they are angry with you, for it was the illusion they loved.
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
Out in Hollywood, where the streets are paved with Goldwyn, the word
—Dorothy Parker (1893–1967) American Humorist, Journalist
It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to coyer impotence.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Glory follows virtue as if it were its shadow.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
In fame’s temple there is always to be found a niche for rich dunces, importunate scoundrels, or successful butchers of the human race.
—Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann (1728–1795) Swiss Philosophical Writer, Naturalist, Physician
I must say, I don’t feel very qualified to be a pop star. I feel very awkward at times in the role.
—Edward de Bono (1933–2021) Maltese-British Psychologist, Writer
To get a name can happen but to few: it is one of the few things that cannot be bought.—It is the free gift of mankind, which must be deserved before it will be granted, and is at last unwillingly bestowed.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist