How to be a Great Man and achieve Greatness

The Traits of a Great Man

In history, we have many examples of great men or women. People who will never be forgotten, because their service for humanity greatly benefits us today. There are many ways of living. Some people live for pleasure (hedonism), some people strive for money and power, but only a few have a drive for greatness. Such achievement is not an egoistic goal but one bound on passion and empathy.

Today I will show you how to be a great man and what a great man exactly is. What are his traits, how does he live, and what is his mindset on life? It will be valuable if you have a drive for greater good, not only for yourself. Although this post primarily targets men, it holds relevance for women as well.

What is a great man?

We all know the names of Einstein and Shakespeare, to name a few. But we also know about Alexander the Great, Caesar, and Aristotle. None of these men were perfect; all had their flaws. But even though they never became perfect, they managed to achieve greatness. Their work was not easy, whether it was in science, politics, philosophy, or poetry. We can simply learn from them to become great men ourselves.

All of these worked for something greater than themselves; that’s why they are called great men. It’s not the selfish work that will make you a great man; it is the work for something greater, for the better work, that will make you great. Although it’s debatable if their work was really a common good, they sure were great actions that influenced society. They undertook challenging tasks that extend beyond merely achieving wealth or power.

Suffering is Part of Life

There’s a high likelihood that you have already experienced pain. Maybe that’s why you are here. But even though it’s hard, it doesn’t mean you can’t achieve great things in life. Yes, even great men experienced difficult challenges. But they are great men, because they did not pause to cry but continued the great work until it was finished.

If we look at Caesar, he experienced many hard things in life. He nearly faced execution but managed to escape. Pirates kidnapped him later, and he returned home to a sick wife. Shortly afterwards, he lost the woman he loved. And not just that, he experienced the death of his daughter and then the betrayal of his most trusted. Even Einstein experienced hard things, as he needed to flee his country. Life is not easy, but both of these people continued their lives.

When faced with hardship, you have two options. First, you give in to the pain inside you and never achieve greatness. Second, you don’t give up; instead, you fight. You still have work to do, so take action! Pain is just temporary, but greatness is permanent. All of the people who experienced greatness in the past have gone through pain. But none of them gave up; instead, they continued. You should do the same.

Selfishness is not greatness

It’s not entirely clear how someone becomes great, nor what defines greatness. However, one thing is clear for me. Greatness requires more than just focusing on yourself or your family. If your goal is building a company just to get rich, it may not lead to true wealth or fulfillment. While you may leave a lasting impression in the present, your legacy will likely change in the future. Simply because most people won’t remember your work, as it was only done for your own good.

Instead, work for the greater good, not for yourself. Sure, money can help with greater goals, but it should not be the focus, and it won’t make you happy. Passion will bring more happiness than money. That is why working for something greater than you is important; it will not only make you happier, but it will also make life greater for humanity.

The result could be anything; it could be an important scientific discovery that will help many humans around the world. But it could also be poetry that will spark a light of happiness in those who hear it. You could improve people’s lives by changing important aspects in society through politics. There are numerous opportunities to archieve greatness. A weak mindset will only think about itself, but a strong mindset will care about others. Helping or protecting them surely is a great option.

Why You Should Seek Greatness

Greatness doesn’t have to be big, like with Caesar, Einstein, or someone else. Greatness can be small and still significant. You don’t need to be known by everyone, but you certainly could drive for it. Everything good you do is great, but doing a few unique things in life will make you greater than most people.

The meaning of life is unknown; we simply don’t know what it is. But even though it is unknown, there are many opinions about it. You could be modest and live a joyful family life, without much trouble and stress. Furthermore, you could live a life of hedonism or seek pure materialism. However, you also have the option to pursue inner peace and adopt a more religious lifestyle. There are alternatives for the meaning of life; this is just one of them.

While you can choose one, it’s surely not impossible to have more than one. Marriage and personal greatness can coexist harmoniously. And you could also integrate some spiritualism into your life. It’s all your choice.

Becoming a great man will not necessarily benefit you. Numerous individuals, such as Christopher Columbus and Nikola Tesla, have achieved greatness despite their actions not being considered “the best.” Both of them ended up poor and alone when they died. Did they truly accomplish anything for themselves? They had no intention of harvesting the plants they had seeded. Will we ever forget those people? Most likely, their contributions will continue to resonate in the upcoming millennium.

You must live with all your passion to achieve greatness. You don’t do it for yourself in most cases; it will be challenging and low-rewarding at first. It requires a long time and passion to achieve, but it will be worth the effort. The way toward it can be fulfilling, especially if you live on your passions and dreams.

A great man’s mindset

The first thing a great man has is his mindset. If you want to become one, giving up will not be a word you know. There is always work to be done, so never give up. Realize that hardship and pain are temporary. You must choose between hard work and laziness. The first one should always be your option, because nothing will improve automatically. You need to work for it. The sooner you start with the work, the quicker you succeed in life.

A hard life also doesn’t need to be a bad one; it can still be fulfilling. The joy of bringing happiness not only to yourself but also to others is a fulfilling way to live. So instead of focusing on entertainment, which would be a more hedonistic lifestyle, you focus on the hard work. The reward is the feeling of accomplishment, which is a much greater emotion than enjoying something short-term. That’s the benefit of delayed gratification vs. instant gratification.

If you are ambitious, you are probably on your way to becoming a great man or woman. However, you will not only need ambition but also discipline and diligence. If you work harder, you are more likely to succeed. You have a better chance of success if you work smarter. So work hard and smart to achieve. Don’t just work blindly toward your goal. A great man always has a plan.

Despite all this, you should not let greed dictate your plan. Instead, work for the common good, not only for yourself. If you only work for yourself, your life might end well, but that will be it. Real greatness goes beyond yourself; it is not a status you give to yourself, but others will give to you. You will become immortal if you do something that leaves a lasting impact and benefits both you and others. You will become immortal not by living a long life, but by remaining in the hearts and minds of the people.

Improve yourself

Do you have your ambitions and goals? It would be beneficial to start working on it immediately. However, depending on where you stand, you first need to build yourself up. The fact is, you probably have a lot of potential in yourself. Yes, it might be much more than you know. Most people these days don’t come even close to their potential. That’s why you need to work on yourself and train your mind and body. However, you should also strive to enhance your confidence, charisma, and overall human qualities. Improving your character is important as well. Avoid remaining stagnant in any aspect of your life.

Improving yourself is not always easy; motivation is the drive to do it, but you will need discipline. You will fail and fall many times; no one just goes and succeeds. But when you always stand up and never give up, you will reach your full potential. This is the best way to improve that life of yours. Reach greatness and have a fulfilling life. Of course, you don’t have to aspire to the heights of a great man; you can also focus on leading a modest life and creating a happy family. The choice is yours, but hard work will still be required if you want to better yourself.

Conclusion

Greatness is not reserved for a chosen few, but for anyone brave enough to pursue a life of passion, discipline, and self-improvement. Every great man or woman has faced pain and hardship, yet they chose to fight, persevere, and work for something greater than themselves. Remember, true greatness lies not in self-serving accomplishments, but in actions that leave a lasting, positive impact on the world. Let your ambition, empathy, and drive guide you, for every struggle is merely a stepping stone towards becoming the remarkable person you are meant to be.

What to Do

✓ Embrace the Challenge: Accept that suffering is part of life. Use every setback as fuel to push harder and become stronger.

✓ Work for the Greater Good: Focus on actions that benefit not only yourself but also those around you. Let your passion serve a purpose beyond personal gain.

✓ Build Your Mindset: Cultivate discipline, resilience, and a clear plan. Choose hard work over laziness, and let each failure teach you something new.

✓ Invest in Yourself: Continuously improve your character, skills, and potential. Remember, the journey of self-improvement is ongoing and essential to achieving greatness.

✓ Stay Focused and Motivated: Never lose sight of your ambitions. Celebrate small victories and keep striving for that lasting impact that will make you immortal in the hearts of others.

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If you plan achieve greatness for a fulfilling life, read some of my other articles about productivity and discipline. Or you could find out how to be more efficient with learning here.

Now I want to hear from you!

Are you working towards Greatness? Write it down in the comments!