It is evident, most of the times, the word “great” has been overused and some of the times, it has even been misused. People say, great sportsmen, great writers, great thinkers and great leaders to refer to the people who they thought were very special with their ability and deeds. “Greatness” is a highly relative term and there is not a single parameter based on which a good sportsman, writer or a leader can be deemed “great.”
It was not just the number of novels Dickens or Hemingway wrote that made them great writers, but it was the quality of their prose that distinguished them above other good writers of their time. It was not just the number of runs Brian Lara collected in his illustrious career that made him great, but it was also the way in which he got those runs. Authors like Chetan Bhagat and Dan Brown are popular, but many critics deny calling them “great.” Greatness can’t be bestowed upon someone solely based on their popularity.
One of the traits of great artists is they surpass the test of time. The artist who consistently produces works of great quality over and again in a manner unprecedented by others can be deemed “great” or a “legend.” Such artists often change the way in which art was done. They are groundbreaking and revolutionary in their own instincts. Walt Whitman is considered a great poet because he changed the way poetry was perceived in the United States.
It is not that difficult to be popular. One can gain popularity even throng wrong manners or filthy acts. But, it takes artists, writers, sportsmen and all people involved in creative works years of devotion and courage to be deemed “great” in their respective fields. Not every writer is destined to write like Hemingway, Dickens, Marquez or Shakespeare. Only Hemingway can write like Hemingway. Only Dickens can write like Dickens. Not all people in the world can be popular. Not all the popular people can be considered “genius” in their field. Not all the genius people can be considered “greats” in their field.
A specific borderline separating the greats and the goods in a field of human existence doesn’t exist and it is an arduous task to justify someone’s greatness. It is a lot easier to justify who is not great rather than finding out who is.
