It's completely natural when growing up to have idols. They are people we look up to or adore for their fame, wealth, or impressive abilities.  We have all had sports stars, celebrities, political leaders, or business leaders we idolized.  They have achieved things we all dream of.  They do things that seem impossible, almost magical to us.  They often seem super human. 

It is my experience that as you become older and more experienced, we start to see the cracks in the idol's veneer.  Behind the scenes, they are all too human and flawed.  While they excel in certain areas, they lack tremendously in other areas.  There is a sharp divide from their public and private persona.  It is almost as if there is only so much human life force available and as they apply so much in one area, other areas suffer.

A very crude analogy might be the stereotypical difference from an attractive woman and a not so attractive one.  The attractive one gets showered attention and benefits all her life due to her visual appeal.  She doesn't invest much in working hard to be nice and earn people's friendship and admiration.  On the other hand, those who don't receive that immediate attention must work hard on kindness and interpersonal skills to build up that kind of attention. So in the end, the less attractive woman can often be the nicer person to interact with if you care for more than just looks.

An example I'll give from my experience is Michael Jordan.  He was the best basketball player of my generation growing up.  From hitting his clutch shot to win the NCAA championship at UNC to individual NBA scoring titles and championships. He was everywhere and seemed super human.  He seemed to be always smiling and friendly.  He worked hard and seemed to be the perfect role model.  He had more endorsements and accolades than any other sports figure of his era.

As I got older, I started to hear some other details of his life.  That he wasn't faithful to his wife.  That he gambled heavily.  That he was so driven to win, that those who didn't share his drive weren't treated well.  One summer, I worked for Bill Cosby and his What's My Line show he was developing in Philadelphia.  One of my responsibilities was to drive around some of the shows contestants, one of whom was Michael Jordan's father.  I learned about Michael's obsessive drive, his childhood, his professional career.  It was so sad to hear a couple years later that his father had been murdered mysteriously.

I'm not saying Michael was a good or bad person.  I'm saying that everyone that we idolize has many facets.  It is often better to admire their skills and accomplishments than the people as a whole.  Behind the scenes, those we idolize can sometimes be mere shadows of what we anticipate.

Recently, I have been corresponding with three well respected CEO's of larger companies.  Each quite successful and leaders in their industries.  You would naturally project that they are decisive and responsive.  But that isn't the case.  The fact that they lead their companies doesn't make them immune to having areas in which they need to improve.  A strength or gift in one area doesn't necessarily mean one in all areas.  While I admire what they have accomplished, I can also see them more fully.  I am not in awe of them, nor do I expect them to be perfect people.

The same goes for top poker players.  I have had the privilege and opportunity to be around some of the top poker players in the world.  At the end of the day, they still take off their pants, one leg at a time.  They have achieved great success and wealth, but they still struggle with life's issues just like you or me.

Every idol is human.  Every human can be an idol.  If we work hard enough or get lucky enough, we can all be idolized for things we do, but none of us deserves to be deified for those actions.  They are only a part of the big complex picture that is being human.