I missed the train this morningor rather, I forgot to pick my work laptop up when I left the house, and by the time I had remembered and returned for it there was no chance that I would make it back to the station in time.
While walking back and forth, my mind began wanderingas it often does.
Why are great sportsman revered so much? Why is a racing driver given such a heightened place in society (versus, for example, somebody who is good at marbles)? How has the racing driver contributed to the world in a different way than the marbles player?
What is the nature of “celebrity”?
Why does the media invariably report on bad news? Are we really so opposed to hearing good news? Are we so jealous that others might be doing well?
I am reminded of the news writing tips given by the reporter in “The Shipping News” “Town threatened by greatest storm in 100 years”and if it doesn’t happen “Town Narrowly Saved From Devestation”.
What has brought about these thoughts?
Last night I watched “A Good Year”a wonderful movie about a stock broker who inherits a chateau in France from his late uncle. The driving theme of the story seemed to be that winning and losing are not everythingit’s the game, the journey that matter.
I am also reminded of an old quotethat you do not know the meaning of winning unless you have lost. It reinforces the idea that you learn more by losing. Of course, the british are somewhat famous for being “good at losing”, but I wonder if it extends outside of “achievements” such as sport and personal wealth.
While it may seem a controversial analogy, I can’t help comparing socialism with capitalism. Capitalism is all about winningwhich of course means that loss is going to occur. Socialism is (or should be) all about support, where everybody should have a share of a win, and a share of a loss.
It is tempting to involve communism in these thoughts, but history perhaps tells us that communism doesn’t work. In a utopia where nobody follows personal goals it might just workbut the human condition more or less guarantees that you end up with the majority being exploited by a tiny, corrupt minority.
I didn’t set out to write about politics. I set out to write about greatness.
What makes somebody or something great? Why do we look up to things? Why do we aspire to things? Perhaps these questions have no answers.
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