The awareness that death is never as far away as one would like, or rather that it is a near reality, instills in man a sense of responsibility and urgency that cannot otherwise be achieved. Such qualities are indispensable in great minds; without them, the scale of priorities is distorted, the act is postponed or, at the very least, not carried out with due seriousness. Great work is always preceded by the realization of its importance and the need for it.