A column to “great” on your nerves

Most folks are happy to be good at some stuff and never really expect to be “great” at anything. Nevertheless, most of us can understand how the talented, ambitious and gifted can believe that “to be good is not enough when you dream of being great.”

The question arises, however, not so much as to what’s greater than good, as to what’s greater than great. Toward that end, a creative writing and philosophy class was asked to ponder the following:

Who is greater: a great violinist or a great pianist?

Who is greater: a great hockey goalie or a great football quarterback?

What’s greater: great wealth or great wisdom? (and can you quantify wisdom)

What’s greater: ten best-selling mysteries or one Nobel-prize-winning novel?

What’s greater: a great hotdog or a great hamburger?

What‘s greater: The Great Gatsby or Great Expectations?

Who’s greater: he who grades a road or he who grades a paper?

What’s greater: the eye, the ear or the tongue?

What’s greater: Greater New York or Greater Boston?

What’s greater than “the greater good”?

What’s greater: the Great Wall or the Great White Way?

What’s greater: a great day on the job or a great day off?

What’s greater: a great meal or a great night’s sleep?

What had the greater impact: World War I, The Great War or the Great Depression?

What’s greater: song or dance?

What’s greater: a great job or a great performance

What’s greater: great literature or greater mathematics?

What’s greater: a great throw, a great catch or a great shot?

What’s greater: a great line or a great comeback?

What’s greater: good doing great or great doing greater?

What’s greater: first love or permanent love?

What’s the greater pain: kidney stones or heartbreak?

What’s the greatest joy: victory, completion or return?

What’s the greater question: how or why?

What’s the greater kindness: doing for or listening to?

And finally … What’s the greater challenge: composing these questions or answering them?

© Copyright © 2013 Ron Goldman

Ron Goldman is an attorney in private practice with offices in Cedarhurst and can be reached @ 1-800-846-9013