This concept of “greatness” is an interesting one. To aspire to its grandeur can result in one of two opposing consequences: the one leads to ill-placed self aggrandizement and, ultimately, despair and destruction; the other steers you to personal achievement, service, and benefit to the society. Which fascinating avenue would you choose?
I am sure that everyone can identify with this experience: you complete something, perhaps a project or a task, and the people judging your efforts are truly thrilled at what you have accomplished with your efforts. They laud your performance and heap you with praise and adulation. This, if it happens often, is a dangerous enticement, for it leads to the door of narcissism. “In Greek Mythology, Narcissus was known for his beauty, and for his vanity: for example, he distained those who admired him. Nemesis, the goddess of retribution against those who succumb to hubris, decided to punish him. She lured him to a pond wherein he fell in love with his reflection.” One version suggests that he tried to kiss his reflection, fell into the water and drowned; an alternative version has him losing his will to live and staring at his reflection until he dies. Either way the narcissist is forewarned: self love can only lead to moral and spiritual destruction — Mr. Trump take notice! The alternative path, that of greatness, has an individual discovering his true essence: his true being in the world. He then uses this self knowledge to serve others. “There are two primary ways in which man relates himself to the world that surrounds him: manipulation and appreciation. In the first way he sees in what surrounds him things to be handled, forces to be managed, objects to be put to use. In the second way he sees in what surrounds him things to be acknowledged, understood, valued or admired. … A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. It is easy to love children. Even tyrants and dictators make a point of being fond of children. But the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the helpless are the true gold mines of a culture.” (1)
I recently watched a TED video featuring Byron Reese. (2) The thrust of his talk was that all of us are destined for our own form of greatness, whatever that means individually. Tragically, few people achieve their apotheosis. We claim that it is not there right in front of us: however, it is. We formulate excuses and kill or neuter our potentiality. I have no money, I am only one man, I have no friends: the list is endless. Mr. Reese notes that every hindrance to greatness, every one, has already been overcome. We are just looking for lazy reasons to fail. The key then is to accept your eminence: you are alive, are you not? We then must narrow down our gifts. Everyone has some: what are yours? As I tell my students, make a list of your strengths and your weaknesses. You will soon see your trend. This opens a world of discovery.
In keeping with the theme of greatness and discovery: nutmeg is now an innocent spice that is readily purchased in any quality supermarket. But between the 16th and 19th centuries it was worth more money than gold: literally! Nutmeg (3) was a prized and costly spice in European medieval cuisine used as a flavoring, medicinal, and preservative agent. Most importantly: in Elizabethan times, because nutmeg was believed to ward off the plague, (4) demand increased and its price skyrocketed. “In the Banda Islands, ten pounds of nutmeg cost less than one English penny. In London, that same spice sold for more than £2.10s. – a mark-up of a staggering 60,000 per cent. A small sackful was enough to set a man up for life, buying him a gabled dwelling in Holborn and a servant to attend to his needs.” (5) Eventually the English took control on the Spice Island of Run. (6) Four years later there was a truce and they traded it for the useless island of Manhattan, as in New York. The Dutch thought that they had gotten a good deal; such are the quirks of history. The great politician, thinker, rhetorician and philosopher Cicero (106-43 BC) leaves us with a thought: We are motivated by a keen desire for praise, and the better a man is the more he is inspired by glory. The very philosophers themselves, even in those books which they write in contempt of glory, inscribe their names. (One would hope that this is glory for the concept, not for the self.)
A small joke: Some people are extremely stubborn and refuse to allow a physical change to alter their style of life. Mr. Stavio Giovanni moved from Italy to England. Now, in Italy the weather is much nicer than in England: in the British Isles it rains a lot. Mr. Giovanni was asked by his Italian friend what it was like living in England. “Well,” he replied. “It is very nice, except dinner takes longer.” “Why?” his friend inquired. “You see,” Stavio responded, “we normally eat outside on the terrace and to eat our soup takes at least 30 minutes.”
This week, please consider your quest for greatness.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: The talk that I must have with myself, if I wish to be at peace in my life, must be sincere and forthright. We should not shelter our vices or illusions.
Footnotes:
1) Abraham Joshua Heschel (1917-1972)
2) Achieving Greatness Is A Choice: Byron Reese at TEDxAustin
3) Nutmeg
4) http://www.historytoday.com/ole-j-benedictow/black-death-greatest-catastrophe-ever
5) Giles Milton, Nathaniel’s Nutmeg: How One Man’s Courage Changed the Course of History
6) Run_(island)