All tagged Heroes
What is this idea of “being a hero”? I don’t know how to really comprehend it, that is, what makes someone become a hero?
I mean, it’s a concept we talk and hear about incessantly - all over the media, in our news, in a lot of our personal conversations. But I don’t know if we really internalize what it means.
Our heroes occupy a curious place in our psyche.
We marvel at their ingenuity and intelligence. We admire their persistence in the face of considerable odds and elevate their achievements to the strata of legends.
At the same time, we gloss over the other aspects of their lives and characters. We airbrush over their failings or fully ignore them. We assume their contributions represent the entirety of who they were/are.
That’s a word we love. It’s also a word that we tend to hold to a specific standard.
Superhuman strength. Incredible bravery. Folks who demonstrate those traits are called heroes. The determined doctors, the brave firefighter, the courageous police officer tend to fit the bill.
We can accept that. Because that individual put themselves at risk for the betterment and gain of another, almost always someone they don’t even know.
