A closer look
Greatness is slippery when you’re living it. A leader mocked in one century might be mythologized in the next because hindsight mutes blunders and magnifies bold ideas. Take figures who alienated allies and stumbled through policies—today they are cast in statues for their daring visions, not their failures. Why? Because time is the best editor; once someone can no longer trip, history silences their mistakes with a glossy highlight reel. So do we understand greatness in the moment? Rarely. Greatness and disaster often look identical until the story ends—and history loves a polished ending.
