What makes an exceptional human?

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I've been promoted to ask this question by a recent thread. All the people I have known that I thought were exceptional people have used their life in some kind of useful service to others, rather than simply possess superior natural abilities.

I'm interested in what members think makes a human exceptional.

High intelligence
Willingness to use that intelligence to help others

Ok- that's not perfect I know. Just getting this thread going .

One can be a person of “low” intelligence, and be “great.”

A fictional character, Forrest Gump, a person of apparently “low” intelligence, saved at least five people from certain death in one day during a battle in the Vietnam War. Obviously, he was a “great” person at that point in time.

Of course. It's the willingness to help others that counts more than the level of intellect . I personally don't have much time for people with high intelligence who constantly use it to mock and put down others.

Well...you go on to the "getting to know you" section of WrongPlanet, and then you declare yourself to be "superior".

It's a simple as that.

Works for...at least one person!

I loved that movie, and Forest Gump's character learned much of his simple wisdom from his mum, which I think kind of makes his mum a great person too. “My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.” So an exceptional human could be a product grown from combined greatness of many people. I can't think of a real life example of such a person at the moment, but I'm sure there is one. Can anyone else?

Or, equally effective. Someone could crown themselves emperor of the human race with a paper crown in a ceremony on their own in their bedroom, without consultation with any other humans and start giving orders. That could work too.

Temple Grandin, despite her autism, was able to use her unique perspective to invent various humane ways to vaccinate animals. She learned to cooperate with NT types, and the NT types learned to cooperate with her to spread these inventions into the mainstream of farming.

I believe such is quantified by the impression they make upon others.