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I think a lot of "great man" thinking is really motivational - people want to believe they can make a dent in this massive universe of ours. If we always said "well, progress happens, regardless of what you specifically do", that is pretty depressing and may actually lead to fewer people trying to push things forward. just a thought -

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But I'm more likely to believe I can make a dent in the universe if I believe that Einstein was just one of many possible great men (or women) who could have done what he did. I don't believe that I, personally, am a "great man" on the order of Einstein, so a "great man" theory like presented would convince me to not even try.

To piggyback off of this comment; in bleeding-edge research, one needs a degree of creativity in order to (a) try new things, and (b) have a greater willingness to roll with failure. For me personally, knowing I that "great men" constantly make simple mistakes, have bias and egos that they need to keep in check, and are struggling with other scientist, lifts weight off of my chest.

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