The new model professor wore himself out: greatness of mind and depth of learning, like beauty, could be attained only through suffering.
Indeed Polydore Vergil noted Henry VIII pronounced resemblance to his grandfather, Edward: "For just as Edward was the most warmly thought of by the English people amongst all English kings, so this successor of his, Henry, was very like him in general appearance, in greatness of mind and generosity and for that reason was the most acclaimed and approved of all".
Of these, one important group (consisting of courage, magnanimity, ambition, and others) is based on, or may even be a form of, self-esteem: "[W]hatever we call heroic virtue, and admire under the character of greatness and elevation of mind, is either nothing but a steady and well-established pride and self-esteem, or partakes largely of that passion.
He that can heroically endure adversity will bear prosperity with equal greatness of soul; for the mind that cannot be dejected by the former is not likely to be transported with the latter.
Greatness is not a goal you achieve or a skill you have, but rather greatness is a virtue, a state of mind, or a habit you develop.
It's hard in this frame of mind to define and celebrate greatness, to hold up others who are immeasurably superior to ourselves.
Although Willoughby clearly spends a significant period time in a Lynchian state of mind, he's content to remember the greatness of "Twin Peaks" in the past tense.
Rather, when we form such concepts we think of a mind that denies the greatness of an object.
As he remarks in the Miscellanies preface, "Pride, Ostentation, Insolence, Cruelty, and every kind of Villany, are often construed into True Greatness of Mind".
The difference between the greatness of Disney, and the limits of your own mind is that Disney has the benefit of assigning different groups to different tasks.
If separating ideas from implementation can leave you a little lightheaded, you'll still walk away dazzled by the greatness of cities and fascinated by this writer's nimble mind.
