What human being, who was alive for at least part of your lifetime, is the ONE you admire the most? Yes, we older folks have more people to choose from, but age does (or should) have its benefits. After much consideration, I was waffling between Bertrand Russell and Carl Sagan. Since I can only pick one (those are the rules), I'll have to go with Bertrand Russell, since his publicly expressed views are on a wider range of topics than Dr. Sagan's. Whew! It was really almost too close to call.
I disagree that you older people have more to choose from... There are many more people now who have changed my mind from a simple comment on a thread. So many people have influenced my life I couldn't possibly know who is the most important. You older people only had your best and brightest authors available to everyone, I'm almost 40 now and I've met so many people online and in real life that even the complete idiots have changed how I look at things because I learned how they view things which is a completely different way than I do.
Everyone I've talked to or read have been equally important, every little bit I've learned has molded me into who I am.
I have to go with Carl Sagan. I found out about him at a young age and have most of his books. He did his best to educate the world, sadly only some of us were open to learning.
Perhaps, but he knew enough about history to know that progress is almost always moving forward. It may be slower at times, but there's still people doing good work down in the trenches.
I am saying Martin Luther King Jr. He pushed for equal rights and protesting peacefully.
My younger self, damned I would sell everything to be that naive again.
Nelson Mandela
He is up there with the greatest of them, like Jeff Bezos
Mom... President Barack Obama... history will define his greatness... if we survive.
Mr Nelson Mandella... Mr Robert Kennedy.
With all bye respect...
DREAM ON!
yes I do shout ALOT.
I am an Artist I do not have to conform to your tiny box...
You CANT SHOUT in letters.
BUT you CAN make EMPHASIS.
As far a Mr O...
Yeah 'history' says Rat BASTARD Reagan was a Great pres...
HE WASNT.
FOIA Books don't lie.
And Mr O was charismatic...
But he was a puppet too (and he knew it)
'history' reflects the agenda of the writer...
FEW are interested in the TRUTH
Rachel Carson.
@Donotbelieve She should be..she saved the US birds from extinction, but the SNEM program in Haiti, by the US military, sprayed our Haiti mission homes with deadly DDT every year during my childhood, killing our pets, and later all of us were struggling with cancer issues. I read that people with early exposure to DDT have FOUR times the cancer rate of the general population.
It really is a difficult one. Even the 'greats' were flawed in some way and quite often have a situation thrust upon them to which they responded magnificently, Churchill being the person who came to mind while writing this.
The other problem, for me at least, is not knowing enough, or indeed anything, about a person so my impression is based on very little but in recent years Christopher Hitchins, when I finally came across him, seem to articulate exactly what i was thinking about religion but in a far better way, and then from being exposed to him came Harris, Dawkins, Dennett et al. I would also include Thomas Payne here as well although it's his legacy that is in my lifetime.
Closer to home people like my brother, an outward persona of grumpy old sod, but a man who has dealt with personal tragedy and difficulties with a fortitude, common sense and humour that is admirable.
I would also give someone like Wenn Lawson a mention, you may need to look him up, an autistic guy who's life story is remarkable and he travels the world educating people on the condition. And he's a really nice bloke as well.
Btw, nice question with some terrific (and slightly odd) answers
I think comedy holds the greatest truths about humanity because it is rooted in the tragedy that we all live through at some points in our lives but it spins it and makes it a learning experience and an uplifting experience, so my vote is for George Carlin.
@RobLawrence Jim Jefferies is one of my favourite current comics but since George did all the early ground breaking and heavy lifting, not to mention staying power I have to give him the nod. Steve Hughes is another Aussie comic that is very good, he had a bit of a spell with depression but he seems to be pulling out of it, tragedy and comedy are opposite sides of the same coin.
RobLawrence. i’m glad you liked my reply, I once was asked who I would most like to spend an evening with if i could choose any living person......it only took me a few minutes to say David Attenborough. He is also a Humanist like myself and although he’s ninety woiuld beat most others hands down. The other one, well he is the lead singer of A-ha the Norwegian band. Don‘t think me shallow when I say it, but if it were on looks alone Morten Harket would have to be first choice, but he is the complete package, looks, humanitarianism and the best voice in popular music!
If I had to pick one it would be Stephen Hawking. I would have chosen him for his amazing intelligence and imagination anyway, but the difficulties he overcame while displaying those attributes makes him a true hero of mine.
I have two. Sir David Attenborough and Morten Harket. The first because is such an incredible human being and cares so much for our planet. The second for his humanitarian work and his incredible 4+octave voice, and his unbelievable handsomeness!