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Genius,Luck,Opportunity or Spoilt

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  Posted by justalexander (U13884823) on Friday, 26th June 2009

  I start this post in relation to history.Genius and basically how great or superstars acive things. It coincides and is relative to Michael Jackson love him or hate him.
  
  I have many times wondered if Alexander The Great would have achieved had he not been born a price. Would his known Genius have got him there some argue not and argue a lot is about luck and Circumstance.
  
  History has many examples of genius comming from nowhere to accomplishment.
  
  Napoleon began as a regular gunner became one of histories greatest Commanders.
  
  Nelson started at the bottom and arguably became the greatest Historical Naval commander.
  
  Cromwell came from nowhere.Hitler.Stalin.I guess the list has many more names some accepted quite infamous. Presley born in poverty probably one of only man universally called king without coronation.
  
  History has and forever proves genius and ability does get a person some where so I guess its possible Alexander could have equally acived without been born Royal maybe not?

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  Posted by Nik (U1777139) on Friday, 26th June 2009

  This reminds me of a previous subject on the likes of great leaders of all time. There I have expressed the opinion that the overwhelmingly accepted as two greatest men in history were Alexander the Great and Genkis Han. Alexander the Great achieved more things than Genkis Han and his legacy indirectly still lives with us in the modern world, much more than Henkis. However, it is Jenkis that had achieved more if seen in the sense "where one started and where he ended up".
  
  There might have been born some 100,000-200,000 people (I give an imaginary number) in recorded history with the potential of becoming an Alexander or a Jenkis Han. Some of them we know them. Pyrrhus of Epirus, just half a century after Alexader - he was acclaimed in his lifetime as a potential new Alexander, albeit the situation was different having been entangled in the inter-state strife of the Greek region. Ceasar could also be one, some centuries later, albeit he started a bit late in his career thus he had only the conquest of Gaul to show - no mean feat but not the most impressive either - he did not enjoy any excellent army anyway... 40,000 Romans going to face a 200,000 strong enemy would be dead, slaughtered and forgotten by morning...
  Atilla in the 4th A.D. century, nearly became what Jenkis Han and actually to the minds of people Jenkis in his lifetime might had been compared to Atilla but then Atilla had been mostly raiding here or there, he did not achieve what Jenkis had achieved in his lifetime. Atilla made regional campaigns on the fringes of the by then failing Roman Empire. Jenkis Han united the inter-warring tribes and made war to quite healthy, rich, huge and populous Empires like Chinese and Kaourism muslim Empire.
  
  Perhaps the most famous greatest-ever-leader-he-might-had-been is... Alexander's father Philip II himself. Even when Alexander had done what he had done by the age of 30, people still talked of his father and expressed certainty that Philip would had done it anyway. Perhaps it is very imaginary, but Philip might had been a man greater than his son, Alexander had he been alive. Who knows? He remains my favourite.

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  Posted by LairigGhru (U5452625) on Friday, 26th June 2009

  Except when we are attacked and need to defend ourselves, I don't believe we are right to admire trouble-making megalomaniacs like Genghis Khan and Alexander. Their actions lead thousands to immense physical hardship and a violent death, so why would a sane person admire them?
  
  On the question of whether Alexander could have followed the career he did had he not been Philip II's son, I think the answer is obviously "No!" Any abilities he had may have been recognised and rewarded, but he would probably not have achieved the position of supreme leader.

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  Posted by Sir Bernard Quatermass (U1732830) on Friday, 3rd July 2009

  Opportunity must play a part. If Barack Obama had not had the right breaks and been born to a poor family in the Bronx, he could have ended up as a hood. Who knows how many people never had the chance to achieve greatness?
  
  A story by Jack Williamson (Legion of Time, I think) has two future races trying to set a youngster on a course of their choosing. They can both presently exist as either is a possibility but a young boy is coming up to a moment of choice in his life. In one reality, he picks up a lodestone and notices it's magnetic properties on a bit of iron near it and become the world's greatest scientist, causing a golden age for Man. In the other reality, he picks up a stone, throws it at a bird and kills it. He becomes the world's greatest tyrant and drags Man down to the Dark Ages. There is a final unseen battle to make the boy pick up the lodestone or the ordinary stone, with the fate of one whole reality depending on it.

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