Chapter 280
The Myth of Great Men
Man’s mind cannot grasp the causes of events in their completeness, but the desire to find those causes is implanted in man’s soul. And without considering the multiplicity and complexity of the conditions any one of which taken separately may seem to be the cause, he snatches at the first approximation to a cause that seems to him intelligible and says: “This is the cause!” In historical events (where the actions of men are the subject of observation) the first and most primitive approximation to present itself was the will of the gods and, after that, the will of those…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Decode the Success Story
Think of a recent success in your workplace, family, or community where someone got credit as the 'mastermind.' Write down what the official story says happened, then list the practical day-to-day decisions and circumstances that actually led to the outcome. Notice the gap between the heroic narrative and the messy reality.
Consider:
- •Look for decisions that were made for immediate practical reasons, not grand strategy
- •Identify what circumstances were beyond anyone's control but helped the outcome
- •Notice who gets written out of the success story versus who was actually involved
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you got credit for something that was mostly circumstance, or when someone else got credit for your work. How did the 'retroactive genius' story get created, and what was the real sequence of events?
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