“Great artists, Minke, said Jean Marais once, whether they are painters or something else, or leaders, or generals, become great because their life has been crammed with and based upon profound, intense experiences: emotional, spiritual, or physical. He had said this after I had finished telling him the life story of the Dutch poets Vondel and Multatuli. Without such profound experiences, greatness is purely imaginary: Their greatness is whistled up by the money-minded people of the world.”

Pramoedya Ananta Toer - This Earth of Mankind.

I highly recommend everyone reads this. Absolutely breathtaking book.