Why we should not idolise role models
Admiration can blind us: why we should never put someone on a pedestal, using Elon Musk as an example.
Elon Musk as a role model: questioning admiration
Elon Musk as a role model: for a long time, the entrepreneur behind Tesla and SpaceX was considered the embodiment of business genius. Recently, however, his public statements, especially on social media, have become increasingly questionable in Reza’s view. In this episode of Project Mindset, Reza Mehman speaks openly about why he once put Elon Musk on a pedestal himself and what made him reconsider. The discussion is not only about Musk. It raises a fundamental question: why do we tend to idolise people simply because they are outstanding in one area? Reza shares personal experiences from his private and business life and explains why we should be more careful about whom we choose as role models. A reflective episode about darker sides, blind admiration and the art of separating achievement from character.
Summary
In one sentence: Using Elon Musk as an example, Reza Mehman explains why we should never put people on a pedestal: outstanding achievement in one area does not automatically mean good character.
In three sentences: Elon Musk was an entrepreneurial role model for Reza for a long time, but questionable public remarks, including jokes about assassinations, shook that image. Reza reflects on repeatedly admiring people who excelled in particular areas, only to discover darker sides later. His conclusion: we should consistently separate achievement from character and be more careful about whom we choose as role models.
In five sentences: Elon Musk achieved extraordinary things through his involvement with PayPal, Tesla and SpaceX and was a major role model for many people, including Reza Mehman. Yet his recent appearances, including jokes about possible assassination attempts on Kamala Harris, reveal a problematic side in Reza’s view. Reza uses this example to draw a broader lesson: excelling in one area does not mean someone is a good person overall. He describes his own experiences with artists such as Kevin Spacey and people in his private life, where he felt similar disappointment. His solution is to appreciate someone’s achievements without blindly idealising the person behind them.
Context: who, what and why
Who is speaking: Reza Mehman, host of the Project Mindset podcast, entrepreneur and founder of Project Nutrition.
What the episode covers: Reza reflects on how we relate to role models, using Elon Musk as an example. He addresses Musk’s questionable public remarks and draws parallels with his own experiences of idealising people.
Why it matters: In an age when public figures have enormous reach and influence, distinguishing between achievement and character matters more than ever. Blindly worshipping role models can normalise problematic behaviour.
Three key questions:
- Why do we put people on a pedestal simply because they are outstanding in one area?
- How do we respond when our role models reveal troubling sides?
- How can we separate achievement from character without becoming cynical?
Context for this historical episode: these are Reza’s reflections from October 2024. References to Kevin Spacey concern allegations and Reza’s personal reaction, not a finding of guilt. Spacey was acquitted of all charges in his 2023 London criminal trial; a New York jury also found him not liable in Anthony Rapp’s civil case in 2022. Associated Press reporting provides that context.
Contents
- Introduction — Why the changing perception of Elon Musk prompts reflection
- Summary — The episode in one, three and five sentences
- Context — Who is speaking and why the topic matters
- Themes and perspective — The episode’s central topics
- Key takeaways — The main messages at a glance
- Frequently asked questions — Answers to key questions
- Standout quotes — The episode’s most striking statements
- Transcript — The complete episode transcript
- Keywords — Relevant tags and search terms
- Names and terms — Important people, companies and concepts
- Passage to share — For sharing and quotation
Themes and perspective
1. Elon Musk’s questionable public remarks
Elon Musk has increasingly attracted attention through controversial social-media statements, including jokes about assassinations of political figures. Reza explains why he considers remarks like these particularly dangerous when they come from prominent people.
Keywords: Elon Musk controversies, Elon Musk social media, Elon Musk conspiracy theories
2. Role models on a pedestal: opportunities and risks
People tend to idealise successful individuals and judge their overall character positively on the basis of a single strength. This so-called halo effect can lead to painful disappointment.
Keywords: role models on a pedestal, halo effect, idealising people
3. Separating achievement from character
Reza argues for separating entrepreneurial or artistic achievement from personal character. You can recognise an achievement without worshipping the person as a whole.
Keywords: achievement and character, questioning role models, critical thinking
4. Personal experiences of disappointment
Reza shares experiences of idolising people in his private and business circles who later revealed troubling sides. Those experiences changed his mindset for the long term.
Keywords: disappointment in role models, personal development, changing your mindset
5. The responsibility of public figures
Prominent people such as Elon Musk have a particular responsibility because millions hear their words, and some listeners may take them literally.
Keywords: influencer responsibility, reach and influence, public figures
Key takeaways
- Reza sees Elon Musk as an exceptional entrepreneur, while finding his public social-media remarks increasingly questionable and unacceptable.
- Jokes about assassinating political figures are unacceptable, regardless of political views.
- Prominent people have a particular responsibility because some listeners might take such statements literally and act on them.
- We tend to put people on a pedestal simply because they excel in one area.
- An extraordinary achievement does not automatically make someone a good person.
- Consistently separating achievement from character is important.
- For Reza, the allegations surrounding Kevin Spacey raised the question of how artistic brilliance relates to perceived personal failings.
- Idealising people in private and business life can also lead to painful disappointment.
- Mentally distancing yourself from other people’s negativity can help prevent their problematic traits from spilling over into your own life.
- The solution: it is fine to admire an achievement, but do not blindly idealise the person behind it.
Frequently asked questions
Why should we not put Elon Musk on a pedestal as a role model?
Although Elon Musk has achieved extraordinary things in business, Reza sees his recent public remarks, including assassination jokes, as a reminder that outstanding achievement in one area does not automatically mean good character. Blind worship can cause problematic behaviour to be overlooked or normalised.
What did Elon Musk say about Kamala Harris?
In an interview, Elon Musk joked about why nobody was attempting to assassinate Kamala Harris. He described her as a puppet and suggested an attack would be pointless. The episode discusses criticism of those remarks as unacceptable and irresponsible.
What is the halo effect in relation to role models?
The halo effect describes the psychological tendency to infer someone’s overall character from one positive quality. If someone is successful in business, for example, we may automatically assume they are a good personal role model too.
How can we separate someone’s achievement from their character?
Reza Mehman recommends consciously distinguishing admiration for a particular achievement from our judgement of the person behind it. You can acknowledge a business or artistic achievement without worshipping the whole person or declaring them a role model.
Why can remarks by prominent people be especially dangerous?
People with a large reach, such as Elon Musk, are heard by millions. Some listeners may take provocative or violence-glorifying remarks literally and might try to act on them. That is why such figures have a particular responsibility for their words.
Which example does Reza mention besides Elon Musk?
Reza also mentions Kevin Spacey. He admired the actor’s performance in “House of Cards”, but allegations against Spacey made him question whether he could still enjoy the artistic performance with a clear conscience. Allegations should not be treated as proven guilt; see the legal-outcome context above.
What does Reza Mehman recommend when choosing role models?
Reza advises being more careful about whom we choose. Remember that admired people can have troubling sides too, and mentally distance yourself when negative information emerges so their negativity does not influence you.
What is the Project Mindset podcast about?
Reza Mehman’s Project Mindset podcast is for everyone who believes that the right mindset makes anything possible. It covers personal development, entrepreneurship, motivation and the way of thinking that supports success in life.
Standout quotes
“I put Elon Musk on a bit of a pedestal and thought: wow, this guy really knows what he is doing, and he must be a good person. Now I have to admit I see it somewhat differently.”
— Reza Mehman
“I think everyone should vote as they see fit. What I find completely unacceptable, though, is joking about why, for example, nobody is attempting to assassinate Kamala Harris.”
— Reza Mehman
“When prominent people such as Elon Musk make certain statements, there are people who take them literally and actually set out to carry out what has been said.”
— Reza Mehman
“Just because someone is good at one thing does not automatically mean they are a good person overall.”
— Reza Mehman
“I do not want that negativity or those traits to spill over into my own life.”
— Reza Mehman
“I cannot really see this person as a role model with a clear conscience, because I do not want to be like that, and I cannot support the things they stand for at all.”
— Reza Mehman
“This person inspires me so much in one area that their entire character must be good. Usually, that is not how it works.”
— Reza Mehman
The full conversation
What is actually going on with Elon Musk at the moment? For many people, especially me, he used to be a major role model. Now he seems to attract attention more for getting involved in conspiracy theories and spreading statements that are not really acceptable. That is exactly what I want to talk about today. Many people put certain role models on a pedestal without considering that they may have darker sides too. In today’s podcast episode, I want to talk about why we should be a little more careful in future.
Hi everyone, and welcome to Project Mindset, the channel for everyone who knows that with the right mindset, anything is possible. Today I want to talk about Elon Musk, and particularly about how we should relate to supposed role models. I have to admit that Elon Musk used to be a kind of role model for me too. In business terms, I think about what he achieved, the software he built and the companies he helped drive forward.
From PayPal to Tesla or SpaceX, he is a clear entrepreneurial role model for me. But I also have to say now that I have learnt from my mistakes. I put Elon Musk on a bit of a pedestal and thought: wow, this guy really knows what he is doing, and he must be a good person. Now I have to admit I see it somewhat differently. I recently saw an interview clip in which he joked about why nobody was attempting to assassinate Kamala Harris, for example.
Reza’s reaction to Musk’s remarks
Somehow, that is not very funny. Of course, the situation with Trump, with attempts to assassinate him, was not funny either. But joking about it now struck me as seriously crossing a line. I also have to say that, for me, it makes no difference whether he is on Trump’s side or Kamala Harris’s side. I think everyone should vote as they see fit. What I find completely unacceptable, though, is joking about why, for example, nobody is attempting to assassinate Kamala Harris. We must not forget that when prominent people such as Elon Musk make certain statements, there are people who take them literally and actually set out to carry out what has been said.
That is what I want to focus on in today’s podcast. I have fallen into that trap several times in my own life too: putting particular people, artists for example, on a pedestal and thinking, wow, if someone can create art so well, they must be a good person too. With Elon Musk, it is more his entrepreneurial achievements. Before going deeper, I want to show this short excerpt from the interview with Elon Musk.
Transcript note: the embedded interview was originally in English, but the German source contains heavily distorted automatic transcription of it. The passage below is an English rendering of that supplied excerpt, not a verified verbatim transcript. Clearly unintelligible wording is marked rather than invented. The discussion is from Musk’s interview with Tucker Carlson dated 7 October 2024; a recording and transcript reference is available.
The excerpt discussed in the episode
Interview excerpt: “How long do you think my prison sentence would be? Whether I will see my children, I do not know. It is not as though you can say, yes, [unclear phrase in the German source], but you know, I am… [unclear phrase]. No, no, and I have been attacking Kamala non-stop.” — “Oh, I know!” — “I call her the Kamala puppet. The machine that the Kamala puppet represents.” — “Yes, she is irrelevant. I mean, she is not even…” — “No, no, I made a joke that I deleted, along the lines that nobody is even bothering to try to kill Kamala because it is pointless.”
Interview excerpt, continued: “What have you achieved?” — “No, that is absolutely right.” — “It is just another puppet.” — “Exactly, that is… There is no point.” — “It is deep and true, but…” — “Nobody is trying to kill Joe Biden. It is… it is pointless. Completely pointless.” — “You actually posted that?” — “Yes. Now, some people interpreted it as though I was calling for people…” — “Of course.” — “…to assassinate her. But I was like… But I was like… nobody has even… I was saying: is it not strange that nobody has even bothered to try?”
Interview excerpt, continued: “It is not worth it. I mean… there is an endless supply.” — “Nobody would… It is absurd.” — “It could be anybody.” — “Yes, yes. Nobody tries… Nobody tries to assassinate a puppet.” — “Of course not. A marionette.” — “Yes, a marionette. It is… you know, that is funny. She is safe.”
Reza: Now I would be interested to know whether I am the only one who honestly does not find that very funny. Feel free to email me or write in the comments. I really am interested in your opinion.
Distinguishing achievement from personal attitudes
But this is not just about Musk. I really do have to say that, on the business side, I believe he has created some great things that other companies have not even come close to achieving. For example, I read a story about Boeing, which competes with SpaceX — Elon Musk’s SpaceX competes with Boeing for certain contracts — and apparently SpaceX is much faster, better at delivering and cheaper.
Continuing the thought
That does make you wonder why a young company such as SpaceX can do things so much better and more cheaply that an established company such as Boeing cannot. But, as I said, that is not really the point here.
Today’s podcast is more about how I too have put people on a pedestal in the past. I was enormously impressed, for example, by their business achievements, or by something artistic they did in my private circle. Then, at some point, I realised that person also had darker sides. I had to learn the hard way: first, that is not the whole picture; and second, we should stop idolising people in any form or assuming that being good at one thing automatically makes someone a good person overall.
Of course, I will not name people from my private circle; that would make me very uncomfortable. But I have a few examples of public figures I thought were wonderful for a time, for example because of their artistic performances.
Another example from film
My favourite example here is the actor Kevin Spacey. I think his acting is incredibly strong, both in the films he appeared in and especially in the Netflix series “House of Cards”. Series are not something I watch very often, but I raced through that one. I watched it within a few days.
At some point, some explosive stories about Kevin Spacey came out. I do not even remember exactly what they were. Afterwards, I asked myself: can I still watch this person in a film with a clear conscience if I believe they also have very serious negative sides? Can I keep following this person? Can I still admire them? How do I separate that artistic performance from the person behind it in my own mind?
A more conscious approach to role models
I have found a solution for myself: in future, I will completely separate those things. If I admire someone, whether privately or in another setting, such as business — I meet entrepreneurs whose way of building their companies impresses me enormously — then I may also hear other things indirectly. You do not know exactly whether they are true. But it makes me more cautious: OK, I do not actually know this person. I may admire one particular area. If extremely negative things then emerge, I need to distance myself mentally in some way. I do not want that negativity or those traits to spill over into my own life.
As I said, I have experienced this privately too. For years, I thought someone was absolutely wonderful and attached enormous importance to everything they said. Then one or two incidents made me realise: wow, first, this person does not know as much about the subject as I thought; and second, a few things happened, including in their treatment of other people, that made me think: oh no. I cannot really see this person as a role model with a clear conscience, because I do not want to be like that, and I cannot support the things they stand for at all.
Conclusion: seeing people in a more differentiated way
That is it for today’s podcast episode. What mattered to me today was pointing out that we often put someone on a pedestal because they are good in certain areas, while somehow forgetting that they may also have darker sides. We should therefore be careful about whom we choose as a role model, or when we say: this person inspires me so much in one area that their entire character must be good.
Usually, that is not how it works. Thank you very much for listening. We will speak again soon, and remember: your mindset is everything.
The German transcript was created automatically using Whisper AI and may contain errors. This English translation smooths clear transcription errors; uncertainties in the embedded interview are identified above.
Keywords
Tags: Elon Musk, role model, putting people on a pedestal, mindset, darker sides, Kevin Spacey, questioning role models, personal development, Tesla, SpaceX, Kamala Harris, critical thinking, halo effect, idol, strength of character
Names and terms
Elon Musk, Reza Mehman, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Kevin Spacey, Tesla, SpaceX, PayPal, Boeing, Netflix, House of Cards, Project Mindset, Project Nutrition, halo effect, conspiracy theories, assassination, pedestal, role model, darker sides, mindset
Passage to share
We tend to put people on a pedestal simply because they are outstanding in one area.
But extraordinary achievement does not automatically make someone a good person.
It is essential to separate achievement from character and remember that even admired people can have darker sides.
Reza Mehman’s advice: admiring an achievement is perfectly fine, but never blindly idealise the person behind it.
Find another perspective on role models in episode 153 on how our behaviour affects other people.
