But so it was for Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire five years ago.
His actions triggered a revolution that ended with the downfall of President Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali and the end of decades of authoritarian rule.
Tunisia’s uprising inspired millions of people across the Middle East and North Africa to rise up, armed with a belief that change was possible.
But five years on, many Tunisians wonder if it was all for nothing.
Has the country that became a model for the Arab Spring failed to deliver on the promise of real change?
And what has the rest of the region learned from Tunisia?