IELTS Speaking Part 3: Famous Person

Topic:  Famous Person

1. Do you think that famous people are generally happier than ordinary people?

Answer: The problem with the definition of “happiness” is that it just has no common definition and meaning that is accepted by all. In fact, every individual chooses to define happiness in his/ her own unique way the way he/she deems it.

So, are the famous people are generally happier than ordinary people? Well, I would venture to say that being “famous” has nothing to do with being “happier” simply because “happiness” is nothing but just a state of mind. Of course, famous people are usually more satisfied than the average people because their “needs and wants” are easily met at their wills. But, unfortunately, we tend to confuse ‘satisfaction’ with ‘happiness’. However, does that necessarily mean that famous people can’t be happier than ordinary people? Well, the answer is, of course, they can be, but it will be so not because they are “famous”, but because they just “choose” to remain happy with or without having the “satisfaction” in life just like the “ordinary” people.

2. What qualities does a person need to have in order to be famous?

Answer:  Becoming a famous and “successful” person is not really easy. But, a person can become famous in his/her own right by winning against all the challenges and battles, thrown at him or her, because of carrying certain qualities in his or her life. And, some of these qualities are ‘passion, persistence (or patience), hard works, positive attitude, self-reliance, self-confidence, integrity and rock-strong willpower’. Of course, a person also needs to have his or her fair share of “luck” as well in order to become famous. But, of all these qualities, I would say that “patience” may prove out to be the most important and decisive factor in attaining the “fame” as one may need to wait a long time to achieve it. However, it is worth mentioning here that if a person’s sole intention is to become “famous” by hook or by crook, without necessarily understanding the “value” of it, the “success” will probably be a very “short-lived” matter for him or her at the end of the day. 

3. Is it easier or more difficult to achieve fame today than in your grandparents’ time?

Answer:  Yes, for better or worse, it is easier, generally speaking, to “achieve” fame today than in our grandparents’ time primarily because today people have more scopes and opportunities at their disposal to advertise themselves on different kinds of media channels due to the technological advancements. Besides, we also seem to have “compromised” a lot with the traditional social and cultural values in becoming famous. In fact, it looks like the more one can behave “out of the box”, the easier it gets for him or her to be famous. I have a friend who has more than 80 thousand YouTube followers and he is kind of famous in his community. It was unheard of during my grandparents’ era, thanks to the technological advancement we have in our modern days.

4. Describe the ways that famous people influence the public.

Answer:  Famous people, be them in sports, politics, cinema, business or whatever, can influence and inspire people with their talent, hard work, sincerity and styles. Sometimes, the way famous people lead personal lives, handle problems and relationships, they can actually set examples for the general public. But, the problem is, sometimes, people tend to forget about their own responsibilities as they may not be able to accept the mistakes of their favourite famous person(s).  Sometimes, they even try to justify not only the mistakes of their favourite famous persons but also their own, which can actually be misleading for the rest of the general public.

5. Do you think more is expected from famous people than ordinary citizens?

Answer:  Yes, I do think that more is expected from famous people than ordinary citizens as being famous usually mean that they have more “power” and “influence” to accomplish good things economically, socially and culturally in order to help the average people with no or very limited “power”. Famous people also have the power to communicate or to reach a large segment of ordinary citizens as they are the leaders to their followers more often than not. Therefore, it is only natural for the ordinary citizen to expect that famous people must have a good sense of responsibility to guide their followers towards a better life.

6. What types of people become famous in your country? Do you want to be famous?

Answer:  People, who work in the film industry and play sports, usually become famous in my country rather quickly. And politicians don’t really lag very far behind them either. However, the difference is, in my opinion, the famous people in the film industry and sports are “famous” because most of the average citizens genuinely like them because of their creativities and performance while people “like” the famous politicians out of “fear”.

Yes, I would like to be famous one day, but I am certainly not looking to be famous “overnight” as many of the “so-called” famous people these days who have pretty much changed the “rules of the game” for worse.