What causes one to engage in the mad pursuit of fame and fortune?
According to nerds, like Golf Ball and her... *friend*, it doesn't take an awful lot for an Object- or any other living being, for that matter -to sustain themselves, to keep themselves living for another day. Though sport globules could expand the list to ludicrous lengths through deliberations and nitpicks over the specifics, the average soul could make some largely-accurate generalizations and cut it down to a more respectable size. Creatures need food. They need water. They need air to breathe. All other desires stem from one or multiple of these things. The wanting for shelter rests on the requirement to keep these essential items on their person for as long as possible. Maintaining physical health and wellbeing allows for one to gather these things as much and as efficiently as possible. And so on, and so forth.
One of those derivatives is the desire for companionship, to not be alone in the world, to have someone to fall back on in the lowest of moments. Some time in the long ago, the hapless lifeforms of planet Earth decided to make a risky gamble: one could gather plenty all by themselves, but two could accumulate twice as much. If one falters, the other could support them. If an outside force threatens them, they could cooperate to survive. This came with potential risks, much like any other venture in life. Every moment spent socializing and befriending others is a moment not spent hunting and foraging, energy wasted on what could ultimately be a fruitless endeavor. Once a connection was made, a constant effort would be required to keep it going, to ensure that they all mutually benefited. And along each and every step of the way, there was the risk that a friend or stranger could become an enemy, becoming a *massive* burden that they wouldn't have to deal with if they just left things alone.
Why the decision was made to champion companionship, as with most things in the distant past, remained an elusive memory. The evolutionary steps taken were done long before there were written records, or perhaps those notes just haven't been rediscovered. Point is, the desire to have friends became just as important to the living as every other necessity in life, even though it wasn't quite as essential. There were plenty of cases of people making it through life on their own, and many others seeking to emulate their example. But for the most part, people would have at least a small circle of trusted allies and partners, people they could rely on when the going gets tough.
And just as the struggle for the basic necessities of life begat this desire for friendship, so too would it become the progenitor for 2,763 other compulsions and decisions. It was how cities were built. It was how books were written. It was how Dream Island was made, and how Battles were fought for it. From this, all of history was made. Time would've passed regardless, and they would've kept on living, if they just decided to keep to themselves, sure. But the apparent need to bond together, to unite and cooperate, made the story a lot more interesting to read. Which was especially helpful, considering that unseen forces beyond their comprehension suddenly became interested in the lives of such small, petty lifeforms.
And perhaps that's where the answer to the question lies. When one looks at all the hard evidence, at all the objective, concrete facts about the universe, there simply is no reason to pursue becoming famous. There was little to no incentive to have one's name written in the stars, to be recognized by all other living creatures on the damp rock they lived in. It wasn't like they could meet them all, nor could they band together in any meaningful sense.
But there was the desire to acquire all that was necessary to survive, a need that was etched into their very being. From that came the need to acquire those things as quickly and effectively as possible. From *that* came the need to work together, to pool all their resources and work as one cohesive unit. And from *that* came the longing to connect with as many people as possible, to become known and renowned.
