At best you can add your own contribution to your environment, with exponentially increased difficulty as what you want to influence grows in scope from family (2-4 people), relatives (10-15 people), friends (30-40 people), city/village (100s or 1000s or people), big city (100.000s or millions of people), country (tens of millions to hundreds of millions), or the world (8 billion).<p>It also includes things decided at the municipal, regional, national, or global level, things codified inti law, and things evolved into their current shape after decades, centuries, or millenia.<p>And even "strong men of history" are product of their environment. And when they're not following its directions, they're still a product in that they're reacting specifically against them.