Achieving greatness against all odds

By Kethi D Kilonzo
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“Evil may be a powerful force, a seductive one, but is it more powerful than genius, creativity, courage and generosity?”  Nancy Gibbs.

The Time Magazine in its   December 31, 1999 issue nominated Albert Einstein as the person of the 20th Century.  The magazine believed that the 20th Century would most likely be remembered for science and technology.  Albert Einstein, a pre-eminent scientist, was a symbol of all scientists who built on his work in the 20th Century. 

Few people attain great lives in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.  Greatness in men is such a rarity that when it is achieved it is readily acknowledged.  Greatness is a matter of conscious choice.  It is not a function of circumstance.

Those who have attained greatness in their lifetime stepped out of their comfort zones and made a conscious choice and sacrifice to achieve that which we always remember them by.

Nelson Mandela, in the struggle for apartheid, had to forgo his freedom in his pursuit of freedom for his nation.  He was freed from prison at the same time the curtains of the era of apartheid were closing.  He became the first president of post-apartheid South Africa.  He did two great things in this period.  First, he became a symbol of forgiveness in South Africa, preaching peace and not vengeance against the members and symbols of apartheid rule.  Secondly, he stepped down after only one term in office.  Many men in his position would have chosen and done everything within their power, evil and good, lawful and illegal, to remain President of South Africa for the rest of their lives.  Not Nelson Mandela. 

Many great men have been revolutionaries. They have dared to speak the unspoken and for the voiceless.  Before settling for scientific achievements, the editors of Time magazine picked from three choices considered hallmarks of the 20th Century.  The other two choices were the triumph of democracy over totalitarianism, and the battle for civil rights have also been hallmarks of the 29th Century. 

Martin Luther King Jr tried to open the eyes of others. He was an eloquent orator who captured the imagination and hearts of people, both black and white. His passionate, but non-violent protests, helped to raise awareness of racial inequalities in America, leading to significant political change. 

Mahatma Gandhi is known as “Father of the Nation” in India.  He campaigned for India’s independence using non-violent principles and peaceful disobedience. He once said that “When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it—always.”

Before Time magazine settled for the choice of Albert Einstein, it was fiercely debated whether Adolf Hitler should have been made Person of the Century for his “evil and powerful” impact on the 20th century.  Hitler was the most debated personality of the 20th Century. He started the biggest war the world has ever seen, World War II.  He instigated the Holocaust earning himself the dubious distinction of the most cruel ruler in the world’s history.  Evil may be powerful and seductive, but genius, creativity, courage and generosity are greater forces. Hitler may have changed the face of the world, but Albert Einstein carried the day and title as the personality of the 20th Century.   Everyone holds greatness within them.  It’s not something that someone has and another does not.  The difference is that some people have connected to and choose to live their life from that place. As Charles de Gaulle once said, nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so. Rest in Peace Senator Mutula Kilonzo.