/lit/ - Literature

>>19333388
>>19333476
>>19333496
>>19333525
>>19333619
>>19333659
>>19333666
I'm neither of these lads but how about this:
>Every era has it's spirit/zeitgeist/way of thought
>Technological advances habben
>New ideas begin to circulate
>Old ideas are being questioned
>Times become unstable and uncertain
>It's like opening a window during a storm
>Strong, fearless and driven men with great visions are always around
>In stable times, these men act as conserving agents, and keepers of the peace(whatever the idea of peace may be)
>But the changing tides create a de facto tabularasa setting where these men come into action
>Instinctively, they see the chance to extend their power, and to actualize their visions
>While feeble souls are terrified of cataclysmic change, these strong men aren't afraid of it and don't shy from bringing about at their own hands
>These men are highly charismatic and inspiring to anyone around them
>They manage to give a direction, and pass on their vision to the masses who always crave someone else to make up their minds for them
>Through inspiring those around them they manage to mobilize and harness vast amounts of energy
>These men, under these circumstances, become Great Men of History

I never trust the either-or rhetorics, I think a synthesis of the two ideas bouncing around here is closer to the truth. Times and men are interlocked and influence each other all the time