power vs greatness

[the phantom]

So, when we are talking about who is the most powerful, it is important first to consider what exactly we mean by "power".

Yes! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] That's exactly one of the reasons I started this thread. To get a bead on what power is.

In that quote I posted, I thought a fairly good definition was given.

Using this sort of definition of power (vast knowledge, strong will, great skill, mastery over mind and matter, ability in battle)

That pretty much sums up my opinion on what power is.

Gandalf's power lies not only in his "wizard" abilities (lightning bolts, incendiary fir cones and the like), but also in his wisdom, his judgement and his strength of mind

As stated in the thread opening post, I think wisdom and judgement are seperate from power. I think of power as more of raw potential, or sheer domination of things (such as mind, body, information, and substances). I believe that most things that we consider to be virtues (wisdom, kindness, goodness, and so on), the things that make a character complete, are the things that determine greatness, not power.

I see greatness as an overall definition of a character. It is all inclusive. Every single shortcoming as well as every last virtue being weighed in the definition. Greatness is the ultimate measure of a being.

However, I don't believe that power is the same thing. I pretty much agree with the definition of power previously stated in the quote from lord of dor-lomin.