Nitroglycerin is an extremely volatile, unstable chemical compound. It can explode at the drop of a pin. And this is why it was used by Alfred Nobel as the first form of dynamite. Nobel was one of the most prolific inventors of his time. He also founded one of modern society’s most prominent awards. His unchallenged  creativity and productivity are amazing to consider. How did one man accomplish so much in his life? Perhaps we all have a kind of potential energy stored inside us. For Alfred Nobel, like Nitroglycerin, the potential energy was fragile and great.   

Some of the forces that propelled Nobel were sinister. He profited mightily from his invention. He had one of the biggest business spikes of his generation. He built a line of factories like a spider's web that ensnared the world’s imagination and made him internationally rich. He invested in Sweden’s arms industry - buying an ironworks at Bofors, and became wealthy off of his brother’s oil company in Russia.

However, Alfred’s actions also reflected energies that were well-intended and generous of spirit. He was a creative, kind hearted man with an inventive spirit, who after mourning his brother's death created a safer, more transportable explosive that would take over nitroglycerin. Nobel left 94% of his total assets (close to $186 million US) to establish the Nobel peace prize, an organization he funded but never lived to see. He also made artificial silk and leather and was one of the first to do so. 

There are forces that cause us to act in both great and terrible ways. We are motivated by greed, desire for money, but also the power of creative inspiration and generosity. People are the deciding factor, the part that chooses life, and the part that chooses death. In Nobel’s case, he was driven by a combination of these forces that resulted in his explosive fame and productivity.