--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A celebrity is well known for being well…" description: "\"A celebrity is well known for being well known. I'm relatively well known - but for what I've written and said, or so I fondly imagine.\" — Christopher ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/christopher-hitchens-117_celebrity_a-celebrity-is-well-known-for-being-well_2484982.jpg" --- # A celebrity is well known for being well known. I'm… ![“A celebrity is well known for being well known. I'm relatively well known - but for what I've written and said, or so I fondly imagine.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/christopher-hitchens-117_celebrity_a-celebrity-is-well-known-for-being-well_2484982.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/christopher-hitchens-117_celebrity_a-celebrity-is-well-known-for-being-well_2484982.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/christopher-hitchens-117_celebrity_a-celebrity-is-well-known-for-being-well_2484982.jpg) > “A celebrity is well known for being well known. I'm relatively well known - but for what I've written and said, or so I fondly imagine.” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote humorously points out that fame often stems from being recognized for being famous, while the speaker seeks recognition for substantive work. **In simple terms:** Fame can be self‑referential; true impact comes from ideas. Key Takeaway Seek lasting influence over mere visibility. Themes fame recognition legacy Mood wry reflective Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - public speaking - publishing - media appearances - academic work Key Concepts self‑referential fame authorship Questions to Reflect On - What do you want to be remembered for? - How can you shift focus from visibility to substance? A Different Perspective Fame may still be fleeting without tangible contributions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Celebrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebrity/) [Fame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fame/) ## Related quotes > [I'm very well known in the industry and relatively well known by people who are aficionados and what not, but outside of that -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/i-m-very-well-known-in-the-industry-and-relatively-well-known-by/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [To the modern spirit nothing is, or can be rightly known, except relatively and under conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-pater/to-the-modern-spirit-nothing-is-or-can-be-rightly-known-except/) [Walter Pater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-pater/) > [There's a number of places I've wanted to go but it's been determined too risky or that I'm relatively well-known, and therefore it might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/there-s-a-number-of-places-i-ve-wanted-to-go-but-it-s-been-determined/) [Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/) > [A celebrity is one who is known by many people he is glad he doesn't know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/a-celebrity-is-one-who-is-known-by-many-people-he-is-glad-he-doesn-t/) [Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/) > [A celebrity is any well-known TV or movie star who looks like he spends more than two hours working on his hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/a-celebrity-is-any-well-known-tv-or-movie-star-who-looks-like-he/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [A celebrity is one who is known to many persons he is glad he doesn't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/a-celebrity-is-one-who-is-known-to-many-persons-he-is-glad-he-doesn-t/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [I did not expect to become a celebrity or be known by the public at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-revel-horwood/i-did-not-expect-to-become-a-celebrity-or-be-known-by-the-public-at/) [Craig Revel Horwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-revel-horwood/) > [Being known primarily for their well-knownness, celebrities intensify their celebrity images simply by becoming widely known for relations among themselves. By a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/being-known-primarily-for-their-well-knownness-celebrities-intensify/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [“There is no such thing as notoriety in the United States these days, let alone infamy. Celebrity is all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-is-no-such-thing-as-notoriety-in-the-united-states-these-days/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I'm not very well known. However, the more well known you get, the more people are going to have expectations of you. Although that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-hawkins/i-m-not-very-well-known-however-the-more-well-known-you-get-the-more/) [Sally Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-hawkins/) > [That prince is highly esteemed who conveys this impression of himself, and he who is highly esteemed is not easily conspired against; for, provided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/that-prince-is-highly-esteemed-who-conveys-this-impression-of-himself/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“A less well known impact of immigrant populations is the increase that destination states gain in Congress where apportionment of seats in the House…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-s-greenberg/a-less-well-known-impact-of-immigrant-populations-is-the-increase/) [Edward S. Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-s-greenberg/) > [Perhaps our own opposition to even the level of European integration we have now, let alone any more, is well known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/perhaps-our-own-opposition-to-even-the-level-of-european-integration/) [Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/) > [I was very lucky to get well known much later in life. You need to have flopped quite a few times to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-was-very-lucky-to-get-well-known-much-later-in-life-you-need-to/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In the very recent past, we have seen the Church of Rome befouled by its complicity with the unpardonable sin of child rape, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-the-very-recent-past-we-have-seen-the-church-of-rome-befouled-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-surprising-to-me-how-many-of-my-friends-send-christmas-cards-or/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-there-were-groups-of-secularists-at-hospitals-who-went-round/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It isn’t so long since a test of Anglican orthodoxy was applied to anyone seeking to study or teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-isn-t-so-long-since-a-test-of-anglican-orthodoxy-was-applied-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Gullibility and credulity are considered undesireable qualities in every department of human life - except religion ... Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Celebrity quotes > [“I'm always looking for evidence to support my conjecture that celebrity in Hollywood is sort of like a Joel Peter Witkin photograph: It looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cintra-wilson/i-m-always-looking-for-evidence-to-support-my-conjecture-that/) [Cintra Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cintra-wilson/) > [“Take care of your costume and your confidence will take care of itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-costume-and-your-confidence-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I gave up some of my celebrity to be with my children for 14 years, but it's been fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rabbitt/i-gave-up-some-of-my-celebrity-to-be-with-my-children-for-14-years/) [Eddie Rabbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rabbitt/) > [Unfortunately, celebrity is a powerful thing. It can influence people, but if it can influence people in a good way, then that's a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-furnish/unfortunately-celebrity-is-a-powerful-thing-it-can-influence-people/) [David Furnish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-furnish/) > [There's only one me. I'm obsessed with pop culture and celebrity. I used to be an actor, I used to be a journalist and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/there-s-only-one-me-i-m-obsessed-with-pop-culture-and-celebrity-i/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [I don't like the word celebrity. If I become a good actress and be in movies where I'm expected to be a good actress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-reilly/i-don-t-like-the-word-celebrity-if-i-become-a-good-actress-and-be-in/) [Kelly Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-reilly/) > [I loved 'Celebrity Fit Club,' working out six days a week, running a mile and a half three times a week, and doing 1,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-loved-celebrity-fit-club-working-out-six-days-a-week-running-a-mile/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [Royalty is completely different than celebrity. Royalty has a magic all its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/royalty-is-completely-different-than-celebrity-royalty-has-a-magic/) [Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/) > [I suppose people also have to be a little more careful or circumspect if they're going to leverage their celebrity to promote their political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-rundgren/i-suppose-people-also-have-to-be-a-little-more-careful-or-circumspect/) [Todd Rundgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-rundgren/) > [I surprised the hell out of myself when I got MVP for the 2018 All Star Legends Celebrity game. I had no idea I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-miz/i-surprised-the-hell-out-of-myself-when-i-got-mvp-for-the-2018-all/) [The Miz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-miz/) > [I grew up in celebrity world, so I know what famous people are like, and I've never looked up to them in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-allen/i-grew-up-in-celebrity-world-so-i-know-what-famous-people-are-like/) [Lily Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-allen/) > [Well, I knew I wanted to be an actor, and I didn't necessarily need or want to be famous or a celebrity actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-fischer/well-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-and-i-didn-t-necessarily-need-or/) [Jenna Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-fischer/) > [People are people. All that celebrity tagging doesn't bother me at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-price/people-are-people-all-that-celebrity-tagging-doesn-t-bother-me-at-all/) [Katie Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-price/) > [There's a line between being an artist and being a celebrity. Whether you're a famous photographer or artist, or you're an actor or director,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-heard/there-s-a-line-between-being-an-artist-and-being-a-celebrity-whether/) [Amber Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-heard/) [Browse all 1,675 Celebrity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebrity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A celebrity is well known for being well known. 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