Qualities Common to Great Men

Everyone has the capacity to be successful. Nobody is a born loser. I think the difference between a success and a loser is more a matter of making appropriate choices concerning where and how to apply one's abilities rather than the nature of the abilities themselves. If you're short and uncoordinated, for example, you'll find more success away from the basketball court than on it. If you're exceptionally tall and athletic, but not especially bright, professional basketball might be a better choice than medicine or electrical engineering. By compensating for shortfalls, developing skills, working hard, and walking the right path, everyone can become better than average at something, even better than most, since most of their peers will choose not to expend the same effort.

On the other hand, not everyone has the capacity to be great.

Qualities common to great men in no particular order:

► Self discipline
► Self confidence
► Consistent vision
► Constancy of purpose
► Faith in God
► Community minded
► Intelligence
► Idealism
► Irrational optimism
► Generosity
► Interest in people
► Strong ambition
► Sense of destiny

Not every great man has all of these qualities--I would be surprised to find anyone who did--but the more of them a person has, the more they will be predisposed to greatness.

If you don't see yourself in the list above, don't despair. Greatness is, by definition, very rare. Most successful people will never be great. Even so, every one of these qualities can be developed to some degree, some more than others. Everyone can be better than they are.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Tell me something.