What Great Men Aren't

I have noticed a pattern emerging in my readings about who we as a society consider to be "great" men (this whole discussion goes for women too). Who do I mean? Well, I am talking about scientists like Newton and Mendel, I am talking about adventurers like Ernest Shakleton, I am talking about sports icons like Vince Lombardi.
All these men accomplished something that makes them truly extraordinary, but what I have discovered is that it seems they had to really suck a lot at something else to become great. None of them was well rounded, none of them were well adjusted. They were brilliant in one way and absolutely ass-backwards in almost everything else. Want to know what I mean?

Isaac Newton: Described laws of gravity and died a virgin (of mercury poisoning) because he had a debilitating fear of women.

Gregor Mendel: Called the Father of genetics, did brilliant meticulous research and suffered from nervous breakdowns from things like taking tests. Spent years at a time bed ridden.

Ernest Shakleton: Natural born leader of men and Antarctic explorer who couldn't hold a job (his wife supported herself and their children) cheated on his wife (with sometimes 3 different women at a time) and was a terrible father figure to his kids because he was never around and was depressed when he was home with them.

Vince Lombardi: One of the top football coaches of all time, and a pitiful husband. He treated his players better than he treated his own wife. She became an alcoholic and his kids were terrified of him until the day he died.

You see what I mean? I am coming to the conclusion that "great" men generally don't make good friends, husbands and fathers. They might be awesome coaches, or leaders, or scientists but they are shitty spouses and dads. And realizing that has changed they way I think about my own ambition. I used to want to be one of those people who did something big. But now I am not so sure.
I am not writing this because I think we need to take our hero's down a notch, I guess I am writing it because I think we need take our opinion of "average" men (and women) up a few.