What would you like to be remembered for?

Originally asked

Vogue, to one guest at a time, on camera, 73 Questions

A recurring legacy prompt in Vogue's 73 Questions, appearing with only minor wording changes.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded Barack Obama said elsewhere, not written here
When I am on my deathbed, and I am thinking back on my life, I am absolutely certain that the thing I will be thinking about is holding my daughters' hands and taking them to the park. It will not be some speech I gave or some legislation that I passed. I am positive about that. And so if you keep that in mind, then you have to invest accordingly.

Ben Tiggelaar, Forward Thinking Leadership, Amsterdam, Ben Tiggelaar, 28 September 2018 source ↗

Others on this question

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Val McDermid Scottish crime novel writer
I would like to be remembered for the quality of my work by people who don’t know me; and by the people who know me I’d like to be remembered for being good company.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 February 2020 source ↗
Sadiq Khan Mayor of London since 2016
As a mayor who made London better for all Londoners, and as a good husband and dad.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 September 2016 source ↗

More from Barack Obama

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Question What are you unwilling to optimise? Values & belief
There are some things about being president that I still have difficulty doing. … For example, faking emotion. Because I feel it is an insult to the people I'm dealing with. For me to feign outrage, for example, feels to me like I'm not taking the American people seriously. I'm absolutely positive that I'm serving the American people better if I'm maintaining my authenticity. And that's an overused word. And these days people practice being authentic. But I'm at my best when I believe what I am saying.
Recorded Michael Lewis, Vanity Fair, October 2012 issue, 11 September 2012 source ↗
Question How do you balance creative work with other responsibilities? Daily life
It's hard - truthfully the main thing other than work is just making sure that I'm spending enough time with michelle and the girls. The big advantage I have is that I live above the store - so I have no commute! So we make sure that when I'm in DC I never miss dinner with them at 6:30 pm - even if I have to go back down to the Oval for work later in the evening. I do work out every morning as well, and try to get a basketball or golf game in on the weekends just to get out of the bubble.
Recorded Reddit r/IAmA, Reddit (archived), 29 August 2012 source ↗
Question What do you consider your greatest achievement? Craft & work
One of the things that Michelle and I are proud of is that we came through the White House with our souls intact. Everybody has heard: Power corrupts. I do think if you are placed in such an artificial situation, and your office has great importance, there is a tendency for people to want to please you. To not be as honest with you. We fought against that.
Recorded Ben Tiggelaar, Forward Thinking Leadership, Amsterdam, Ben Tiggelaar, 28 September 2018 source ↗
Question What is the part of your job that people would be surprised is most of your job? Craft & work
Nothing comes to my desk that is perfectly solvable. … Otherwise, someone else would have solved it. So you wind up dealing with probabilities. Any given decision you make you'll wind up with a 30 to 40 percent chance that it isn't going to work. You have to own that and feel comfortable with the way you made the decision. You can't be paralyzed by the fact that it might not work out.
Recorded Michael Lewis, Vanity Fair, October 2012 issue, 11 September 2012 source ↗

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