Fame Is as Dangerous as Smoking, Scientists Say
come at a cost: to have a negative side or consequence, even if something seems good
A new study suggests that being famous could shorten your life by almost five years.
Researchers in Germany studied 324 well-known musicians who were active between 1950 and 1990. They compared each one with a lesser-known musician of the same age, gender, nationality, and music style. The famous musicians died at an average age of 75. The non-famous ones lived to nearly 80.
The study found that being famous raised the risk of dying early by 33 percent. To put that in perspective, that is roughly the same risk as being an occasional smoker.
The researchers believe the problem is stress. Famous people lose their privacy. They are watched and judged constantly. They face enormous pressure to keep performing at a high level. Over time, that pressure comes at a cost.
The study also found that solo artists had a higher risk of dying than lead singers in bands. This suggests that having bandmates may help share the weight of fame.
What surprised the researchers most was that fame seemed to cancel out the health benefits of being wealthy. Normally, people with higher incomes live longer. But for famous musicians, the damage from fame was greater than the protection that money could provide.
Elvis Presley died at 42. Kurt Cobain at 27. Janis Joplin at 27. The study cannot prove that fame directly causes earlier death. But the pattern is hard to dismiss.
Sample sentences
Working from home gives you more freedom, but it comes at a cost. Many people say they feel lonely.
She got the promotion, but it came at a cost. She barely sees her children during the week now.
Fast fashion gives us cheap clothes, but it comes at a cost to the environment.