In it Rory compares himself to both T. E. Lawrence and Alexander the Great. It reminded me of the Boris Johnson/Churchill comparison. It's mildly amusing in a way, but at the same time I do admire this sort of ambition. I think it's a good thing, though I guess a little dangerous too. Rory has given it a lot of thought it seems.
"We imagine, in the modern world, that heroes are accidental heroes [...] But, historically, many of the people who were heroes in their society set out to be heroes. They emulated other heroes, were obsessed with being a hero, wanted to be godlike."It's always struck me as odd as to why some people have this sort of ambition or grand sense of their place in the world and why most people don't. I think it's something that's common across all levels of society, but that manifests itself in different ways. If you're a working class British person you want to be a John Lennon or a Johnny Marr. Or perhaps a Lionel Messi or David Beckham. If you're a highly educated Brit you want to be a Churchill or a T. E. Lawrence it seems.
In fact, come to think of it perhaps this sense of spirit exists in all people to some degree - we all want to be a footballer or an astronaut in childhood. So maybe for most this spirit disappears at some point before we reach adulthood.
Then again though, it does seem that most people are happy to be normal people, with normal ambitions. Sure they want more money and a bigger house, but they certainly aren't attempting to emulate Alexander the Great.
It reminds me of the Thomas Carlyle great men of history idea.
"Universal History, the history of what man has accomplished in this world, is at bottom the History of the Great Men who have worked here. They were the leaders of men, these great ones; the modellers, patterns, and in a wide sense creators, of whatsoever the general mass of men contrived to do or to attain.."Godlike men love lightning.
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