In a previous post, I wrote that awards and greatness are things that are socially bestowed. They are reflections of the award-giving body more than they are reflections of the awardee.
Should awards be pursued? Or is this the equivalent of greed or vanity?
The short and difficult suggestion to answering this question is to discern whether or not the call is for an award to be pursued. This is a difficult answer because discernment is not an easy process.
The long but easy suggestion to answering this question is to think of awards or greatness in terms of ends that one wants to pursue. If awards and greatness facilitate the accomplishment of noble ends, then by all means, be open to (and even actively pursue) those awards. Just as awards are instruments of institutions to reproduce themselves, awards must also be seen as instruments to attain various noble ends.
There are two things to keep in mind that can help keep a person honest. First, win or lose, do not take the award personally. Again, an award reflects the award giving body more than the awardee.
Second, awards and greatness can be a burden as much as they are a blessing. Awardees have to deal with raised expectations and in some instances, lose their privacy. There are situations where I feel the losers are much more blessed than the awardees.
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