# The most influential figure in history... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 13, 2000, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835 "2000-10-13T20:24:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wrath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ee7513/32.png) [@Wrath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrath)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/1 "2000-10-13T20:24:12Z")
…is no doubt Jesus Christ. But I wonder if anyone (Christians, I presume) knows whether He was a quiet, mild-mannered person, or a well spoken, charismatic rallyer. He is always portrayed as the former, but I suspect He might have been more like the latter. Any historical clues? ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/2 "2000-10-13T20:44:15Z")
Uh, not exactly. I’m sure many Muslims would argue that the Prophet is more influential than the Nazarene. I’m sure that many Chinese people would also have their own candidate. Now if you limited your selection to the Western World… maybe then. As for the personality of the Nazerene, we only now if him thru writings by individuals who were close to him. Those documents were, unfortunately, written down long after he died (or acended to Heaven, depending upon your viewpoint). I’d recommend going to the Apocrapha (sorry, bad spelling!) and see what they have to say about the Nararene. Other historical documents about him are scarce. Check out Cecil’s column on his historicity for more information. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/3 "2000-10-13T20:50:34Z")
Wrath wrote: > [@](#): > > But I wonder if anyone (Christians, I presume) knows whether He was a quiet, mild-mannered person, or a well spoken, charismatic rallyer. He was a mild-mannered reported for a great metropolitan newspaper. It is my feeling that the most well-known figure, real or fictional, in the world today is neither the Prophet nor the Nazarene, but the Kryptonian. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/4 "2000-10-13T20:50:47Z")
Wrath wrote: > [@](#): > > But I wonder if anyone (Christians, I presume) knows whether He was a quiet, mild-mannered person, or a well spoken, charismatic rallyer. He was a mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper. It is my feeling that the most well-known figure, real or fictional, in the world today is neither the Prophet nor the Nazarene, but the Kryptonian. ---
**Author:** ![Wrath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ee7513/32.png) [@Wrath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrath)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/5 "2000-10-13T20:53:18Z")
Although I’m not much of a Christian, you have to admit that the whole world literally comes to a halt on Dec 25th. Or does it? ---
**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/6 "2000-10-13T20:58:19Z")
I thought that was because of **MY** birthday!!! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/7 "2000-10-13T20:58:31Z")
William Safire wrote (well, anthologized, remarked, and edited) a _wonderful_ book called “Lend Me Your Ears”, an anthology of great speeches and an introduction which dissected what made a great speech. The Sermon on the Mount was one of the speeches included, and was used as an example of how repition of theme, words, and imagery can make a good speech great (“Blessed are the meek… blessed are the humble… blessed are the cheesemakers…” etc.) So, at the very least, Christ was\* a great speech-writer, and delivered a great speech. Whether he delivered it _well_ or not is an entirely different matter; one could have John F. Kennedy and Michael Dukakis deliver the same speech and get vastly different levels of response. \*Assuming that Christ spoke speeches bearing some relation to those given in the Bible. For purposes of this discussion, I’m taking the Bible at absolute face value. Which, of course, means I need to go burn DavidB as a Satanic heretic, but that’s another thread entirely. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/8 "2000-10-13T20:59:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Freyr \*Uh, not exactly. I’m sure many Muslims would argue that the Prophet is more influential than the Nazarene. I’m sure that many Chinese people would also have their own candidate. Now if you limited your selection to the Western World… maybe then. There are more Christians than there are Muslims or Chinese, so I’d say that right now it’s “the Nazarene” over “The Prophet” in a close, but unanimous, decision. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/9 "2000-10-13T20:59:54Z")
\*\* Wrath \*\*. the whole world most certainly does \*\* not \*\* come screeching to a halt on 12/25. Not even true in the USA. Most of my family worked in occupations that included holidays (hospitals, correction center, funeral homes). In the past several years, I’ve traveled on the 25th, and seen toll booth workers, airport personnel. I’ve dined out and gone to movies on the 25th. Had enough? ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/10 "2000-10-13T21:00:57Z")
Yes, but we know that Mohammed was a real person. There is no proof that Jesus Christ even existed. ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/11 "2000-10-13T21:04:01Z")
If we are using religous influence as a metric I would propose Akhenaten. He represents the earliest recorded impulse to monotheism, and it can be argued that all three major monotheistic religions can be traced back tothe influence of his brief reign in Egypt. ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/12 "2000-10-13T21:06:35Z")
> [@](#): > > the whole world literally comes to a halt on Dec 25th. Figurative use of the word literal. May I just say, “ARRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHH!” ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/13 "2000-10-13T21:11:38Z")
RickJay: I think thats just a little broad. a) I can think of plenty of Christians who wouldn’t pick Christ as the most influential person in the world (unless these people were running for office). b) Christians comprise, I think, about 20% of the world’s population (someone correct my random figures, please?). Muslims aren’t that far behind. c) I can see more Muslims (as a percentage) picking Mohammed as the most influential than Christians picking Christ. Again, this is from personal experiences, with my Muslim friends being more religious than my Christian friends. So, I would actually have to go with Mohammed winning in a close vote. (for what its worth, my vote would have to be that first Homo Sapiens who was actually Homo Sapiens Sapiens – a little vague, and not entirely accurate… but hey, who’s gonna argue?) ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/14 "2000-10-13T21:14:49Z")
How about the guy who discovered how to make fire? ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/15 "2000-10-13T21:18:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MilTan \* > \*\* > b) Christians comprise, I think, about 20% of the world’s population (someone correct my random figures, please?). Muslims aren’t that far behind. > \*\* here ya go…33% > **[Payday Loans | Quick Cash Advances | Adherents.com](https://www.adherents.com/payday-loans/)** > > Your Quick Guide to Payday Loans and Their Rules Payday loans are something that many people have heard of, but \[…\] ---
**Author:** ![muppetsoup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@muppetsoup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muppetsoup)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/16 "2000-10-13T21:18:47Z")
you sexist pig! how dare you assume it was a man who invented fire! ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@JustAnotherGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/17 "2000-10-13T22:14:54Z")
I am no student of world history, but assuming you accept that a Jesus Christ existed, it seems more people died, more maps were changed, more lands were ‘founded’ in His name than for the cause of any other single person in the history of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/18 "2000-10-13T22:22:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JustAnotherGuy \* > \*\*it seems more people died, more maps were changed, more lands were ‘founded’ in His name than for the cause of any other single person in the history of the world. > \*\* I guess that a negative influence is still an influence. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2000, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/19 "2000-10-14T05:38:40Z")
JAG: But you could make the same argument for Mohammed, who is definitely known to have existed. Phobos: Thanks for the info. Muslims still aren’t too far behind… ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2000, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835/20 "2000-10-14T16:18:12Z")
Actually, when I was in high school, there was an interesting book trying to rate the 100 most important people in world history- it ranked Mohammed #1 because Mohammed was both the founder AND the primary establisher of his creed around the world. Jesus was ranked #3 because he left behind only a small, localized cult. St. Paul was ranked almost as high as Jesus because it was Paul who spread the Gospel arpund the Roman empire. #2 on that list? Sir Isaac Newton, who blazed the trail for modern mathematics and physics. Of course, ALL such lists are suspect (though fun), in part because we don’t even know who came up with some of the most important breakthroughs. The first caveman who figured out how to make fire, spears, or tools was mighty important. The first human to figure out how to plant and harvest food was mighty important. The first human to domesticate animals was mighty important, too! But we have no idea who they were. Do we know the name of the Chinese genius who first concocted gunpowder? The first guy to build sailing ships? The first guy to come up with a system of writing? ALL those people were of extreme importance, but we don’t even know their names. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-figure-in-history/36835.md?page=2)