Great is a word applied to allow us to build a picture of a person. How we percieve them depends on what we deem as being ‘great’.

I don not deem Branson to be ‘great’. He is ’successful’ in business but not ‘great’.

A ‘great’ person is someone like Mother Theresa. She was selfless and completely and utterly devoted to easing the pain of the impoverished.

I cannot see Mandela being called great. His reputation is born of being a freedom fighter who has achieved celebrity status for being persecuted and walking out of prison to lead a nation.

To be regarded as ‘great’ he must have doen something great to enrichen the lives of millions of previously impoverished black South Africans. Did he?

No.

Like Branson, Mark and Bill are successful businessmen. Not great.

Hitler, Stalin and Mugabe – pure evil.

So, my friend we need to be careful about the difference between ‘great’, ’successful’ and clebrity people.

And as for the question about if they’d be as great or successful or evil if they lived in another country – we will never know so stop speculating and go play golf or go get pissed because you won’t end up frustrated through speculating.

I say this, because I am the same. If it bothers you, you need to teach yourself a technique called StopThoughts. My therapist drums it into me every single session.

At night, when you are in bed and thinkin about the worlds poverty problems, stop your thought and tell them to shag off.

Easier said than done, actually.

Sorry I don’t have any profound answers on the above for you, though.

Thanks for your comment.

If I listen to what’s inside my head I feel that certain people have that “soul” (for want of a better word) and belief in themselves to achieve greatness.

It as much of a belief I think than anything else in life. We know that greatness defies sociological setbacks as is proven from all the great men listed.

Whether or not people would still have that drive if they started off with everything going for them is of course up for debate.

I doubt Paris Hilton will ever prove me otherwise, despite her visit to Rwanda.

I’m sure though there are great men and women who have achieved greatness even without no substantial drawbacks in life.