ricki: Awesome perspective. Indeed, “greatness isn’t an absolute”. It’s very much a matter of fluke and timing. I guess the idea of living the best you can is key here…

Feeling a little Cartesian are we? Paris with its contrasts does give you an idea where Descartes was coming from. But it’s all about context. Paris makes a person feel a certain way, Windsor another.

Greatness too, I think, is all about context. A person is great in relation to his or her time and place. Greatness isn’t an absolute. I don’t think you can set out to be great without luck, timing and a whole lot of other elements not in your control. And history has the final word on whether you were great or not. Fickle as history is.

All you can really do is the best you can. Live the best you can. If you manage that, that’s pretty great, I think.