How do persons become great?

[Indroneil Ghosh]

To be great, you need to be liked by others. If you have done a huge load of good stuff but nobody knows it, how will you be great?

[bpjg2fat]

im the greatest, because.

[ldsoftwaresteve]

Originally Posted by Indroneil Ghosh

To be great, you need to be liked by others. If you have done a huge load of good stuff but nobody knows it, how will you be great?

Hmmm. You gotta do better than that, Ghosh.
So, if today a lot of people like me but tomorrow they don't....how great was I?
Hallenrm: please define what you mean by 'great'.

[hallenrm]

Originally Posted by Racoon

Explain Winston Churchill: Born in a whorehouse.

Well! I consider politicians to be no different then whores!!!

Whores trade their body, politicians their soul

On a more serious note, I smell a pejorative note in your note. Why should we be scornful of whores, they serve a very useful role in the society, and many great people are their clients, so if a child born in a whorehouse becomes great, it doesn't surprise me, and I do not consider that such instances contradict my hypothesis.

[hallenrm]

Originally Posted by ldsoftwaresteve

Hallenrm: please define what you mean by 'great'.

Great persons are usually distinguished persons in society. They need not be necessarily very wealthy, but they are still respected for their character by many and envied by almost an equal number.

No doubt they have enemies too.

[ldsoftwaresteve]

Let me help. One is great if one is great at something. So, greatness is an attribute of a skillset. A great whore, a great actor, a great mathematician, a great wastewater treatment plant operator.
I would qualify that with one more tiny thing: One must be great at something that makes the lives of others more fulfilling or carefree, or happy.

I don't consider criminals as having skillsets since they are fundamentally parasitic in nature. I don't consider lying a skillset except when it's done in a comedy act, such as Jon Lovitz as Tommy Flanagan, Pathological Liar. I would consider one caveat here though: a thief who stole only from criminals or a liar that lied only to liars might qualify for greatness.