What is a hero?

[Tsuyoiko]

In your opinion, who do you consider a hero, and why?

I hate that celebrities are often considered heroes, when in most cases all they do is get paid a lot of money to do something they love.

Daniel Boorstin says:

Two centuries ago when a great man appeared, people looked for God's purpose in him; today we look for his press agent.

He continues:

The hero was distinguished by his achievement, the celebrity by his image or trademark. The hero created himself, the celebrity is created by the media. The hero was a big man, the celebrity is a big name.

These comments sum it up for me.

So are there still heroes today? If so, who is your hero and why?

I can't choose any one person, as I admire many different people for different reasons - usually I see some quality in them that I know to be lacking in myself. But I will mention two people - one from the past and one from today.

My first hero is Saint Francis of Assisi. I admire him because he was not afraid to make a fool of himself to make a point, he was a talented poet and he knew how to compromise. He was a great teacher, and he knew when to keep his mouth shut and take action instead.

From today I admire the mathematician Andrew Wiles, because he set himself a goal as a child (to prove Fermat's Last Theorem) that he then devoted his life to achieve, and succeeded. I really admire his tenacity, as I give up so easily.

[smoke]

To me a hero is:
someone who puts the well-being of others before their own.
someone who is a positive influence on the life of another or others.
someone who survives through adversity and difficulty.
someone who became the best they can be.
someone who can realise the error of their ways and reform.

or all of the above...but i have never known a man/woman that answers to all those criteria!

speaking of celebrities being heroes...well my intial reaction would be "what a load of pap". However, if the actions of a celebrity can influence someone to improve their quality of life the they are a hero. If David Beckham (par example) can inspire just one kid to kick a ball and become the best he can be, then he is a hero...as much as i don't particularly like him.


"Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamp." — Chuck D

[Jack]

a hero is someone who inspires you, to aspire to be.

[Tsuyoiko]

Hi Geno! Is it enough that you aspire to be like someone for them to be a hero? I want to win the lottery, but lottery winners are not my heros! What do you think?

[Kinsao]

I think the difference between aspiring to be like your 'hero', and aspiring to be a lottery winner, is that you can envy the lottery winner and you want to be like them, but they got their good luck by chance. I'm assuming the kind of 'hero' Geno is thinking of would have arrived where they are by a mixture of (probably) natural talents and hard work.

It's an interesting thing to consider. I don't really have a 'hero' as such, because I'd never thought about it before and it's also not in my nature to put people on pedestals. But, thinking about it, I suppose I have what you might call 'mini-heroes' (lol, sounds like a type of candy!) in various different areas, such as artists, writers, sportsmen, saints and musicians that I admire. I admire them for their skills at things I myself am trying to become proficient at... But of course there's more to it than just their ability, because some people are just gifted with more ability than others in some areas and that's life. I admire people who are prepared to put in a lot of dedication and hard work as well as just swanning along on their natural talent. I also admire those who stick with their integrity and do what they believe in, rather than just work that sells or behaviours that fit with the majority, etc. etc. And people who have a positive attitude even when things are bad; who can turn the negative into something that can be constructive for them. I admire that kind of thing because it is done with the strength of their own mind, and because other people can learn valuable lessons from them.

[smoke]

I think it's hard for some people to differentiate between heroes and people you admire. I admire many people but, like you, wouldn't say i have a hero or someone who i look up to in a way that i'd follow their guidance or beliefs.
I have authors that i admire and use there work as inspirtion for my own (If i ever get over this 5 year writers block!!!) but on the other hand there are rock stars that i admire...coke'd up, booze headed, hotel room trashers that lead lives that are certainly not heroic...but i admire their music, lyrics of beliefs none the less.

[Dutch Baka]

for me a hero is a person that put other peoples live before his own life, a person that you can look upto, that can give you hope, and inspires you. and yes like others, i havnt found this person yet, i a doubt i can find a person like that, in a time when most people are thinking only about them self, and have to think about yourself.

here is a definition about what a hero is from Wikipedia:

In many myths and folk tales, a hero is a man or woman (the latter often called a heroine), traditionally the protagonist of a story, legend or saga, who commonly possesses abilities or character far greater than that of a typical person, which enable him or her to perform some extraordinary, beneficial deed (a "heroic deed") for which he or she is famous. These powers are sometimes not only of the body but also of the mind. Heroes are typically opposed by villains.

want to read more: click here

[Frank D. White]

the average person who sees a problem/something wrong and does the best they can do to solve it. Most are willing to watch or discuss or even throw money at a problem, but my type of hero rolls their sleeves up and wades in to try & help. A hero makes the world a better place for just a moment or for ever.

Frank

[isayhello]

It's Batman. He's got it all, I tell you.




No seriously; a hero is someone who's unselfish. It's very difficult not to be. So there are few heroes. I've never met one.

But then again, there's Batman.

[Dutch Baka]

It's Batman. He's got it all, I tell you.

hahahaha...

LARA CROFT ME THEN

[isayhello]

Lara Croft? She's all boobs. But then again... why wouldn't THAT define a true hero?

[Dutch Baka]

she also have guns, and a woman with guns hahaha

no joke... if i look from the movies, i just thought of lara , after you said batman. let me think of my real female hero okay!!

* btw, we should talk on msn again shouldnt we.*

[isayhello]

*we should, yes* *wink wink*

Ok, ok you keep Lara, I get Batman - all happy! *hugs Batman*

[jarvis]

Basicly anyone who follows Jesus to the best of their ability.

[isayhello]

Eh, what? *is confused*

[Tsuyoiko]

let me think of my real female hero okay!!

Good idea. I admire women who tried to make their way in a man's world. Here are a few:

Hypatia, the 4th/5th century Alexandrian pagan mathematician. She was murdered by Christians, who killed her by scraping her flesh from her bones with shells, because they felt threatened by her great learning and influence. Our knowledge of conic sections is dependent on her work.

Sophie Germain, the 19th century French mathematician. Because she was a woman she was not allowed to go to the Ecole Polytechnique, but she submitted her work anyway, signing herself as a man. Lagrange was so impressed with her work that even when he found out she was a woman he became her mentor. Her work was a major step in the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem.

Henrietta Leavitt, the 19th/20th century American astronomer, who was also deaf. She discovered half the number of variable stars that were known at the time, and her discoveries made it possible for astronomers to measure the size and shape of our galaxy.

[GRAEME PHOENIX]

I hear what you are saying tsuyoiko, was having same conversartion with my mate today! there is something wrong in this world

[GRAEME PHOENIX]

Where Are The Real Heroes?

Where Are The Real Warriors?

Where Are The Men/women With Honour, Pride, Spirit Heart!!! Who Stand For Truth........ And........... Justice? Not Money!!!!!! Or Fame!!!

The People Who Fear No Man,

Where Have They All Gone And When Will They Come Back?

What Will It Take For These Heroes To Stand And Fight, To Bring Balance Back To This Corrupt And Decaying World.

[Dutch Baka]

Here I Am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[McTojo]

Shinjo is a hero !

[Dutch Baka]

Shinjo is a hero !

NO I AM!!!!

.... who is Shinjo?

[Ma Cherie]

We all have basically the same idea as to what a hero is. But have we ever looked at one of our family members being a hero? Our brothers, our sister, and our parents?

[Winter]

I dont really believe in things like heroes. I think its more that people have heroic qualities, or happen to perform a heroic action, but that doesnt make them a hero. Just like how people have other qualities. I mean, a guy steals a cookie to quench his diabetic thirst; does that define him as a theif?

I dont think so.I think its just one of the shades of many qualities that help people to become three-dimensional human beings.

In the end, each person is just another shmuck in a world of schmoes.

[lexico]

Well isn't it the action that makes the man/woman ? To be more precise, thought, words, and deeds should all count. But I understand what you mean to emphasise; the notion of hero as a transcental being can be misleading, and hence you choose to deny the positive existence of hero beyond what is human.

Pondering upon the cryptic meaning, "The times make the hero, not the hero the times," and the strange practice of embellishing biography writing, what Winter says might just be true. Nevertheless how often does one see true genius ? Once in a blue moon, a hundred years, with each cycle of Halley's comet ? Another point of view would ask, "What good is genius when there is no need for it ?"

To define hero, one must presuppose a great problem in need of a great deed normally unexpected of an average human being of average human qualities. Any deed, whether of natural talent, hard work, or spontaneous courage~brilliance to solve the insurmountable threat at hand can be called a heroic deed. Therefore it may be said that there are heroic moments, where the person performs a heroic deed. The rest is myth-making to portray that as something rational in retrospect; the "hero" in real life could very well fail our expectations.

Oskar Schindler or Sugihara Chiune honored by Israel as "The Just among the Gentiles" for saving many Jews from Nazi genocide were not angels with impeccable lives; yet they filled the great need for works of compassion when there was none around them. To call them heroes or not is up to biographers and critics of posterity who often decide for the readers; but their deeds of saving lives are indisputably heoric.

[TwistedMac]

he·ro [ Pronunciation Key (hîr) ]
n. pl. he·roes

1. In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods.
2. A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war.
3. A person noted for special achievement in a particular field: the heroes of medicine. See Synonyms at celebrity.
4. The principal male character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation.

I like things to be what they seem, therefore I like dictionaries.