Greatness is a transitory experience. It is never
consistent. It depends in part upon the myth-making
imagination of humankind. The person who experiences
greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in. He must
reflect what is projected upon him. And he must have a
strong sense of the sardonic. This is what uncouples him
from belief in his own pretensions. The sardonic is all that
permits him to move within himself. Without this quality,
even occasional greatness will destroy a man.
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