Why do we award medals and trophies to athletes who compete at Olympian levels?

Why do we build statues to great leaders and war heroes?

Is it to immortalize their achievements, or something greater than that?

The great orator Demosthenes said:

“Reflect, then, that your ancestors set up those trophies, not that you may gaze at them in wonder, but that you may also imitate the virtues of the men who set them up.”

They don’t exist for us to stare with admiration. The point isn’t so our children will say “gee, whiz, Mom, that’s really cool what you did.”

These monuments to great achievement exist to move us to even greater ones.

Don’t just admire others’ work and success—aspire to be that same kind of person. Do work that others will look upon in awe and seek to emulate or surpass 50, 100, or 1,000 years later.

Don’t erect monuments for your own glory. Instead, use them to inspire others to surpass you.

Subscribe