The Will of Giants

"Standing on the shoulders of giants" is a saying that usually pertains to accomplishing feats by using the past accomplishments of others as a launch pad for your own attempts at greatness.  Modern physicists would identify Newton and Einstein as their giants while human rights advocates would look to Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi for their inspiration.  But when does standing on a "giant's shoulders" turn into becoming a giant?  I'd like to leave behind the connotation of accomplishment that comes with this saying and instead offer a new definition of what it is to be a giant.  A giant is someone who exerts their influence on the world around them; their presence is felt wherever they are, towering above the multitude, acting as an anchor of certainty and imposing their will on the world.  Sounds like a force to be reckoned with, right?  This idea of the proverbial giant is what has been on my mind the last little while.  What would it take to become such a being?  And after becoming a "giant", would you be happy with the results? 

As I said before, I'd like to leave accomplishment out of this definition for now.  Of course, accomplishment is a major measure of greatness and as such will produce giants of its own but that will come with time and the right setting.  However, the social environment we reside in is ripe for producing giants and it is in this conceptual setting that I would like to explore.

So, first let me tell you how I happened upon this idea.  It's been a long time coming, especially since the foundations were laid down by my transition to atheism.  The idea of a God who is constantly minding your business and judging you is very limiting.  It creates a feeling of being fenced in and of having limited options for how to live your life, though at the time you don't realize this (I know I didn't).  Upon shedding the idea of God, I realized that there are no permanent social boundaries.  None whatsoever.  The only boundaries and limitations that exist are those that we build for ourselves and those that are built by others.  Sounds dangerous doesn't it?  And it is, if not tended by a steady mind.  For this is the world we live in (whether you choose to believe it or not) where physical interactions determine everything that occurs.  Divine intervention has no role here.  At this point in my transition I was aware of this reality but lacked the motivation or understanding to do much about it.  I carried on with my life, trapped by boundaries that continued to define and mould the path I took.  Only recently have events occurred that have allowed me to see this truth and to begin reshaping the boundaries in my life. 

I was pretty much starting from scratch.  Questioning the fabric of my existence was only the beginning, as I was now in a position to create my own moral/social code for me to abide by.  As I mentioned above, this is where it gets dangerous.  Someone with little regard for the lives of others may come up with a code that is incompatible with a harmonious society, where a person's individual wants override everything else.  Such attitudes have existed throughout history and still do today.  But in my personal search, I could see the value of placing the wants and needs of others on the same level as my own and so that is how I decided to sculpt my moral code.  So how was I to start?  After thinking about it, I resolved to rely on what I have always used to determine how I treat others, empathy.  Truly, empathy is the vehicle for us all in determining how we interact with others.  So with an atheistic mindset and empathy in hand, I began the construction of my own social and moral code.   

As I was building my code, I kept revisiting a certain theme.  I was free to do anything I wanted to do or be whoever I wanted to be.  There was no solid carving of myself set in stone.  Only a fluid one, which I am responsible for forming.  Nobody knows who I am.  Nobody knows what I'm thinking.  And nobody knows what I'm capable of.  So why sell myself short.  I then decided to ask myself an important question: what did I want out of my life?  It is essential to understand this question before answering it.  Your answer should not be to "get married and to have a nice car or house".  It should delve deeper than that.  It should touch on what you want to drive your life (your motivations), the kind of person you want to be and how other people fit into your existence.  Once I honestly answered this question, I had a path to follow. 

And so you must now ask yourself this question.  And be sure to answer it honestly.  Only once you have your answer can you truly begin to "be who you want to be".  Everything that held you back; fear, embarrassment, timidity, apathy or lack of confidence can be overcome and replaced with a certainty of character and purpose.  That is how giants are created.  Their thoughts are translated into actions and made visible for the world to see.  And that is the next step.  Actually going out and exerting your influence.  Bending this world to your will through your actions and making something out of your existence.  That was one of the initial thoughts I had concerning this subject: the idea of control.  The feeling of being in control is an intoxicating one.  You feel like you are no longer subject to the weathering of the outside world.  That you are no longer a pawn, but a player in this game we call life.

"monster"

I must mention here that by no means am I claiming to be a giant.  Only that I have stumbled upon the path one may take to become one.  I can only imagine that, as a giant, it would be easy to lose perspective.  Towering above the multitude can lead to the establishment of a "God Complex" within a person.  History is certainly rich with examples of this, ranging from Xerxes of Persia to Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany to recently deceased Moammar Gadhafi of Libya.  In becoming a giant, a personality of humility and modesty must be fostered.  To do otherwise is to risk becoming a monster.   

A certain quote comes to mind as I wrap up my thoughts.  It comes from one of my favorite novels, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, and touches on the path we take to define ourselves.

"It's like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head.  Always.  All the time.  That story makes you what you are.  We build ourselves out of that story."

So what stories will you tell?

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