I was recently walking through the neighborhood and had an encounter with three dogs, each different from the other.
The first dog I passed by was cheerful, eagerly walking toward me with excitement, and didn't flinch or move as I passed by him and his owner. You could tell he was only looking for a good time and only had to fight if it was forced.
The second dog I walked by immediately started barking when he saw me at a distance, and as I drew near, he would dart back and forth in front of me constantly barking. You could tell he wanted to be a big shot and show off his power and what he was capable of, though backing down in the face of real danger.
The final dog had a similar countenance to the first, where he was cheerful as I walked toward him. But once I got within a certain distance from its owner, he gave a very low and deep growl and did not waiver in his step. You could tell he was there to serve and protect; he was not afraid to stand for his owner and gave a light warning to those who drew near, nothing against them, but purely a statement that he had a duty and was going to uphold it.
Each of these dogs was fascinating to me and, from my experience, tends to hold similar patterns to those I see. Some people are cheerful and just going through life simple and happy, not caring to strive for greatness. Others see greatness with its outcome and move toward it being boastful and exaggerate what they've accomplished. And then there are the truly great people, those who strive for greatness, not being showy with what they've done, but are stable and true leaders, tough and steadfast in the face of uncertainty.