The Art of Manliness posts Aesop's "The Mischievous Dog":
A mischievous dog used to run quietly to the heels of every passer-by, and bite them without warning. So his master was obliged to tie a bell around his neck that he might give notice of his presence wherever he went. This the dog thought very fine indeed, and he went about tinkling it with pride all over town.But an old Hound said: "Why do you make such a fool of yourself? That bell is not a mark of merit, but of disgrace."
Notoriety is often mistaken for fame.
A society that no longer shares a common understanding of merit and disgrace is no longer a single society, despite geographical proximity.
