WHO
IS GREAT?
Not everybody. The English poet and
playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) said: Some are born great; some
achieve greatness; and some have greatness thrust upon them.
The
above-mentioned quotation doe not refer to qualitative greatness. Wealth, rank,
authority, material possessions, high position, dynastic inheritance do not
make a person perfectly great.
Great
people are broad-minded, enlightened, large-hearted, charitable, compassionate,
sympathetic, philanthropic, merciful, fearless, progressive, morally sound, adventurous,
dynamic, patriotic, God-fearing, etc.
In
a quarrel between a mountain and a squirrel, the mountain called the squirrel “Little
Prig”. The squirrel did not accept this arrogant taunt and told the mountain: I
think it no disgrace to occupy my place. I am not so large as you, you are not so small as I, but if I cannot carry
forests on my back, neither can you crack a nut.
The
moral of the above quarrel is that greatness does not consist of magnitude but of
special qualities gifted by God. Shakespeare rightly said: Some people are born
great. These may be named as Jesus, Lord
Krishna, Lord Mahavira, Lord Mohammad, Guru Nanak, Gautama Buddha, etc.
According to the American statesman and
author Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790 ) there never was yet a truly great man
that was not at the same time truly virtuous.
An
American bishop Phillips Brooks (1835-93) said: No man has come to true greatness
who has not felt in some degree that his life belongs to his race, and that
what God gives him He gives him for mankind.
Finally,
here are a couple of relevant quotes:
*Great people have great values and
great ethics
*The first test of a truly great man
is his humility.
******
G.R.Kanwal
3rd August 2025
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