Years ago a NBA player named Charles Barkley (now a sports commentator I think) was being interviewed about his 'negative' behavior on and off the court. The reporter asked Charles about his duty to be a role model to all the young people who idolized him. "I am not a role model" was Barkley's response, kids should be looking up to their parents.
What do you make of this? Aristotle would say, probably, that we don't have the luxury of choosing whether to be a role model or not. We are all role models and some of us, due to our position in society are role models for thousands or millions of people ~ celebrities, actors, sports start, musicians, politicians, teachers...
Does being in the social spotlight put a special moral duty on a person to work hard to be a good role model?
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