greatness leads us onward

'Hmm,' Sharrow said. 'Fate preserves us from greatness.'
Dornay shook his head. 'Dear lady, don't let the mean-of-spirit infect you.' He glanced at the tall portrait. 'Greatness is his legacy, and our hope.'
'Do we really need greatness, Mister Dornay?' she asked him.
He turned slowly and walked towards the doors at the far end of the room, and she followed him. 'We must need it, my lady. It is all that leads us onward. With it we may dream. Without it, we merely subsist.'

– Iain M. Banks, Against a Dark Background, pp. 151-152

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photo credit: baonguyen