I’ve never been particularly impressed by someone’s popularity or the size of their following in the fandom. what DOES impress me are the people who use their influence, time, money, and resources to enrich the lives of others. I have a TON of respect for those who actively work to make the community better. Supporting charities, artists, musicians, running events, creating welcoming spaces, helping others succeed, or just dedicating their time to something that benefits people beyond themselves and their friends. That resonates with me. conversely, I find myself having increasingly less patience for people whose efforts seem to revolve exclusively around their own popularity, personal gain, or enrichment with little consideration for the community around them. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to improve your own life, and I don’t expect everybody to dedicate their time or money to helping others 24/7. we all got our own shit going on in life that makes it hard sometimes, I get it… and even doing something that makes someone smile has value. but I think there’s a difference between building a following and building a community. I don’t think this is a controversial opinion, at least I’d hope it’s not. I’d genuinely love to see more people using their influence to lift others up. nobody’s perfect, myself included, but I think making an effort to leave the fandom a little better than you found it says way more about someones character than their popularity ever could. at the end of the day, I’m not impressed by how many people know who you are, I’m impressed by how many people’s lives are better because of what you’ve done. take it or leave it, this is a dumb late night dird thought on text lmao