He only does charity to enhance his reputation

Question

People suspect that he only does charity work to enhance his reputation....                           he does charity work only to ...                fame.Hi,Does the second in the above amount to the first? Thanks.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I don't think so. Reputation is used in a couple of ways.

His reputation is spotless. He is a reputable dealer. His reputation is tarnished. He is a disreputable dealer. That is, good people have good reputations. In this sense, having a good reputation is like having good credit. When you enhance them you increase your level of certain good qualities, as well as the extent to which this is common knowledge.

He has a reputation for beating his wife and cheating all his customers. This is a little different. How would you enhance this?? Sometimes you can repair bad credit or a bad reputation.

(You can also say, "He's famous for beating his wife and cheating all his customers.")

Fame, on the other hand, is not tied in the same way to good and bad. Many people enjoy great fame simply because they are evil. You might increase your fame by doing more of whatever you're famous for. But "enhance" is a more complicated term. I suppose you could "enhance" the effectiveness of waterboarding. I think "to enhance" is "to refine"; "to improve" - not just "to increase."

(I have a feeling I'm not making my point.) The long and the short of it is, I don't think you can "enhance" fame.

He only does charity to enhance his reputation

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