@philosophyminis: We understand greatness wrong. We build statues to generals, and we write headlines about billionaires. We focus almost exclusively on a hugely successful few, while ignoring the true engine house of the world. Because, as George Eliot put it in her book Middlemarch, the good of the world depends on unhistorical acts. The world is held up by people whose names you will never know. We often weigh a life by how visible it is — how many followers they have, how big their salary is, what their job title is, or how famous they are. We spend so long celebrating exceptional people that it feels almost embarrassing to be normal. It's shameful to be just a regular person. But Elliot's point is that the good of the world depends upon the uncelebrated, unseen decency of everyday people. It's the teacher who changes a child's life but never finds out. It's the nurse who works a night shift and helps a patient as they sleep. It's the neighbour who notices next door's curtains haven't opened, and the friend who answers the phone at 2 a.m. None of this makes the newspapers. None of this goes on social media. And yet it's the most important thing in the world. Elliot's point is that we should be proud of everyday decency. We should celebrate turning up, doing our best, and a thousand kind acts that build communities, societies, and the world. Yes, of course, we need brave, bold, brainy, and brilliant people. But everything in the world depends on simply being a good person.

Jonny Thomson

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Thursday 02 July 2026 13:30:05 GMT