Anonymity is like a great relationship you misjudged and discarded. You don’t realize how good and powerful it is is, until it is no longer available. While many may wish for fame and flashbulbs, they often fail to recognize that the ability to fly under the radar can be a blessing. Ask a famous movie star. Or Kim Kardashian. Or better yet, ask someone with a physical difference who continually faces the stares, uncomfortable glances and ridicule of others. Being able to blend in and exist in the public space is something extremely valuable.
Everyone deserves a slice of public privacy—to eat a meal in peace without the analyzing eyes of others, have a heartfelt conversation without interruption or share an expression with a friend without having it misinterpreted and splashed all over media channels.
Now back from her social media hiatus (which is kind of the closest thing to anonymity for the Kardashians), Kim Kardashian is tiptoeing back into the limelight again with a few sweet and innocuous social media revelations. Her 2017 posts reflect a “I’m more like you than you think” attitude, compared to the 2016 “Let me show you how extremely cool and rich I am” theme. And who wouldn’t rethink their public presence after a life-threatening experience at the hands of thugs and social media predators? Fans and sponsors are embracing Kim’s comeback, and we should hope that they also embrace her ability to retain a little more anonymity. Reality shows and their stars may be notorious for sharing their lives onscreen, but being an open book and having to share it all for shock and awe and ratings, only creates a potentially slippery and dangerous slope. Anonymity is a blessing we should all be able enjoy. And public privacy is a gift we should give to others—even those who can’t fly under the radar.
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