India, Aug. 16 -- There was a time when fame was expected to be the consequence of achievement. Today, increasingly, achievement itself seems to have become secondary to fame. We live in an age in which visibility is mistaken for distinction, publicity for accomplishment, and notoriety for fame, irrespective of whether there is enduring talent behind it.

The phenomenon is not entirely new, but its scale is unprecedented. The smartphone, television, social media and the twenty-four-hour news cycle have devalued fame in a peculiar way. Almost anyone can become famous. A video can go viral overnight; a provocative remark can produce millions of views; a contestant on a reality show can become a household name; a politician can trend for a d...