Statues get torn down.
Heroes become villains.
Villains get put on T-shirts.
Orwell was right when he said those who control the present control the past. The deeds of one’s life do not create an indelible legacy. It is always up for redefinition per the zeitgeist. No matter how provable and objective you think the facts are, they can be changed, hidden, forgotten, or misconstrued. You have no power to preserve your reputation once you’re dead.
This is one of the reasons I’ve never really been motivated by the idea of leaving a legacy. It’s seems to be the most common motivator for people who have achieved a lot of success and made a lot of money. People will go to great lengths to form a legacy, hoping that they are remembered as great by many generations to come. I don’t really get that.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve always believed in the immortality of the soul. If you keep living and acting beyond death, why make such a fuss about trying to cement memory of what you did during the tiny sliver of earthly experience?
I’m also a let the chips fall kind of guy. Legacy is about what other people think of you, and worrying about what other people think is disempowering. You have no control over how the facts of your life get interpreted, whether you etch them in stone or not, so why bother and fuss?
I also believe that the words you speak and how you live alter the world in powerful, permanent ways whether anyone knows it or not. Legacy is about making sure they know it, but greatness is about actually doing it. I’d rather live my best life, knowing the world will be forever changed by it, than spend energy trying to ensure people realize or think highly of it. As I’ve written before, I’d rather have a secret legacy.
It’s hard enough to take control over your reputation while living. It’s dangerous to try too hard. Why try to do so beyond the grave?