"Greatness is a concept of a state of exceptional superiority affecting a person or object in a particular place or area. Greatness can also be attributed to individuals who possess a natural ability to be better than all others." - (C) Wikipedia.
In our country, being great is a very important attribute. It's because only people who've achieved things are great, and in order to have done so they also needed to be excellent in some other way. It's an historical weight both in the past and in the future. It also helps to evaluate the type of contribution that makes a nation great in the way that it's also most useful to the world.
The examples we have aren't unique to us. It's the case other countries have Kings, Queens, statespeople, and great artists, etc. It's not just us, but neither is it just others. In our past, we've had great playrights, scholars, monarchs, and politicians come and go. They achieved feats that were part of an historical moment, but they also had traits of a skillful mind in some way.
An example is Winston Churchill, who marked himself out long before his time in office as Prime Minister during the Second World War. His personal competence is shown in his private achievements in art, writing, and storytelling. These came through in his wartime speeches in which he painted accurate pictures of the fight ahead. He also accurately summed up events.
There's also usually a personal impetus in the people who we consider as great. It may be a freedom fighter cum inspirational figure in a context that exceeds expectations. It's found in the local histories of many different parts of the UK. It gives a background to the struggles of other people. An example is the Suffragette Movement that won the vote for all women in UK politics.
Posted: 30 November 2024.