Boethius tells
Philosophy that he was never motivated by ambition, but rather joined politics in order to exercise and win praise for his virtue. Philosophy points out that it is ridiculous for
intelligent people” to pursue the “puny and insubstantial […] fame” of being glorified by others. She reminds Boethius that, in relation to the cosmos, the earth is miniscule, and humans only live on a small part of it, which means one’s fame does not go very far. Plus, each person’s fame is unlikely to extend to societies beyond their own, which means that worldly fame is “cramped and confined” at best.