You, me, and Jeff Bezos: the imperfections that define us

Let's admit it; this week was all about Jeff Bezos for most of us, netizens, who follow the latest developments and trends. Though not in the way the Amazon big boss would have wanted. And surely, not the way he would have liked to spend his birthday today.

We heard and read enough about the ‘sex texts,’ the whys, and the hows. In the midst of it all, we also have a new public figure, Lauren Sanchez. And of course, we were reminded of his wealth that runs into billions of dollars and the mindboggling maths around it — from the property that spans 400,000 acres of land, to talk of how the 55-year-old billionaire’s $137 billion fortunes will be split, to whether he will keep his title of the world’s richest man and so on.

Amidst all this, the media sure is having a field day. Just as you and me and the collective ‘we’ are, as we get caught in the race to catch up with the latest developments on what has become the biggest gossip of 2019 so far. But who does not like to read about and follow the lives of the rich and the famous? We all do.

Still, amidst all the reading, talking, observing, and really just by living every day, the one thing that has become increasingly clear is that in today's digitally connected world, there is one underlying theme that (also) connects us all, and that is our flaws. Or as I would call it, our real selves in the real world, with all our imperfections laid bare.

Indeed, it is as if the ‘picture perfect’ world is found only in the heavily filtered Instagram and Facebook photos or for that matter, in the carefully-drafted press note Bezos posted on Twitter announcing his divorce.

It’s also clear to me that there is no single narrative to define a person or an event. There is no single story to a story. There are layers, and within them, more layers, all waiting to reveal the true picture in due time.

We are only in January now, which means the media will have a lot more stories around Bezos, exploring all the different angles to this story and scrutinising his every statement. And by no means, will those stories mean the end of this story.

Because in every other story written about Bezos in the years to come, there will be a line or two or more to remind every reader of the events of this month, or even to judge him for his actions.

But when we read and hear such stories, let’s not forget that all our heroes are humans, and as such, flawed and imperfect. And that's the real story. That this world is not a perfect one. And that there are no perfect heroes and no perfect stories.

Because that, my dear friends, is the new story, the real story.