Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelRoss
In which case, the Power of the word is diluted and is as effective as declaring a person to be Human. As in, there goes Steve Irwin, a Human Being.
And also, if used for one person, we should thus use it for all people, all the time as well. And again, the Power of the word is diluted to virtual nothingness.
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Let us harken unto the definition of great (as applied to a person). Here's one I found:
"(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation"
While one could argue about attainment or character regarding the person in question, certainly the reputation he achieved in his field places him in the "great" category. Or at least moderately "great" if such a thing is possible.
Not that it's important whether or not he or anyone else is remembered as a "great" man. I doubt very much that he cares about that at the moment.
Personally, I liked the man and I enjoyed his style. And for me, that pretty much expresses why I think of his death as a loss. He was just a guy, like the rest of us, true . . . but the fact is that he went out and achieved something in his life.
Regardless of one's opinion of Steve Irwin, his style, or what he did or did not accomplish, the man DID something with his life. That makes him "great" in my book!
[He could have spent his life watching TV and drinking beer . . . like millions of Joe Six-Packs . . . in which case, none of us would be talking about him, and likely very few, if any, would consider him a great man in any way.]
---- Hugh