How true is this?

Well firstly, that's a really faggoty sounding quote.

I guess it technically is true, because most historical people the a erage person knows tend to be exaggerated caricatures of the actual person, but the spirit of the wuote is not. This is written so that it sounds like "the masses" are doing something bad, but why SHOULD they know every facet of their heroes personality? They aren't interested in history and just want someone to look up to. If they actually invested time into learning about who those heroes are, they would be historians, and not "the masses".

Jim Morrison said something like that but without making it sound so gay.

>>3334829
Is that so though? I get that mythification is something good that happens naturally with people and their heroes, but there's a difference between mythification, and idolification, just as "the masses" are not the same as the people or folk.

>>3334879
Can you give me one example of idolification without a state-enforced personality cult? Unless you're the founder of a nation, most historical figures fall out of the public eye over time. I really doubt there has ever been a case of people liking a historical figure too much without it being forced by a government. Honestly, mythification and idolification (if such a thing is seperate and exists) are far less of a problem than people simply having shitty "heroes" to begin with, like celebrities or most athletes.

>>3334924
Jesus

>>3334945
Really doesn't count, as y'know, the people idolizing him believe he was literally a perfect being.

>>3334949
Yes, that's what idolification is (what the quote in the OP describes)...

>>3334924
Marx off the top of my head. he did have state sanctioned personality cults but not until long after his death and they didn't cause his popularity

>>3334957
I'd argue it really isn't, but that's semantics. If it is idolization, then why is it a bad thing, like OP's quote seems to imply? There have been many crimes committed in the name of Jesus and other idolized figures, but many of those are just pre-texts for personal gain or power, on the part of people who don't idolize anyone but themselves. Idolization might make you more likely to support such things, but it also makes you more likely to support good things done in your idol's name.