How about some famous scientists like Einstein, Planck, Bohr, etc
They've certainly made lasting contributions!
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How about some famous scientists like Einstein, Planck, Bohr, etc
They've certainly made lasting contributions!
>>Yes, thanks to the fact that the people burning ancient literature probably didn't give a damn about calculus.<<
yeah, but when Romans attacked the Greek town were Archimedes resided (i forget the name) one of their targets was indeed Archimedes and his capture; one of the soldiers was unaware of the fact as he stormed Archimedes' home to lute it. In the process he stepped on, and destroyed, schematics and diagrams which Archimedes was scribbling on the dirt floor - the aged man (he was 60 something at the time) attacked the Roman soldier, and he in turn stabbed him to death... chance, gotta love it.
So, assume Archimedes did not die that faithfull day and was captured by the Romans - could things have gone differently?
The book I was discribing did not only show secrets of calculus, but also way to approach a problem, decidablility, and the design of algorithms, among other things - the guy was indeed Great.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xErath
thats fine. That is why my op asked for your interpretation of greatness. It is a very subjective and individual thing. I'm trying to find out if there is one (or more) traits that are shared among great people, no matter the deffinition of "great".
What was the point of that post?
edit: Whoa fast posters, I meant XeRth
On the main topic I have a few points on what I consider great/greatness to be:
- Someone great has vision and does not keep it to himself.
- Someone great knows how to work and how to play, how to laugh and how to cry, how to give and how to receive, how to love and how to be loved.
- Someone great expects the best of others and gives the best of himself.
- Someone great has passion for life and is not ashamed to show it.
All in all, there are many men who are by the world called "great", but a man who bears honor in his heart, who can, in the evening hours, lie upon his bed and peacefully close his eyes, knowing he has done all that is within his power to live his life fully and fruitfully; that is truly a great man.
Good luck with your research, axon. It seems very intriguing.
- Stack Overflow
it was just a reply to your comment.
edit: OK GC..... hehe
>>but a man who bears honor in his heart, who can, in the evening hours, lie upon his bed and peacefully close his eyes,<<
First you "bullet" listed the traits that great men have, and then you wrote this line (which I think is the most important)...it kind-of voids all the others, or does it. Couldn't a person like Stalin think he was all those things you listed, and couldn't he go to sleep feeling good and honorable?
> could things have gone differently?
Possibly, but I doubt it. Archimedes died looooong before the Dark Ages, and I don't think his death had that much of an effect on things.
xEarth – it’s musliMs, not musliNs.
I was thinking about your post however, and don't you think that there are certain people that
are irrefutably great? such persons that are simply considered great by everyone?
Well, I did try to seperate the two. For my listed traits were to reflect greatness, and my short paragraph was to show true greatness.
Just my two cents.
- Stack Overflow
> such persons that are simply considered great by everyone?
Most people become less great the more people know about them. (most people, there are obviously exceptions)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Govtcheez
An opinion... Just because I don't rely on famous people doesn't mean it's pointless.Quote:
Originally Posted by axon
N is next to M.. never mind ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by axon
And I'm not earth ;)
It may just be the fact that religious comments can start flame wars, or something worse.Quote:
Originally Posted by xErath
A good quote I saw on a board a while back was the following:
There are 2 topics that are most likely to heat threads in "Flame wars".
First is religion (i.e. Christians vs. Atheists)
Second is international politics (i.e. Americans vs. anti-Americans).
As you probably know God is everywere so he can easily "enters the equation".
Please dont miss understand me! I don't want to be responsible for any of those stuff Stack said!Quote:
Originally Posted by xErath
Howdy,
Sports = Michael Jordan
Humanity=Mother Theresa
Politics=Washington?
Buisness=Bill Gates
M.R.