Acts of Heroism Essay

Heroes willfully put their own life in the place of someone else’s. In other words, a hero risks their life for another person because they wish to benefit the society they live in. This creates a more superior society for the

A hero's place in society has remained relatively consistent since the very beginning of time. Throughout the years, people have seen many different versions of larger-than-life heroes, who have completed seemingly impossible tasks and persevered through immense adversity. The common denominator between all of these heroes has always been that each and every one of these beings has put his/her own life in danger and fought great battles in the pursuit of a better life for mankind as a whole.

A hero is defined as someone who in the face of danger steps up and puts others needs before theirs, expecting no reward in return. In the article “What Makes a Hero?” by Phillip Zimbardo, the author expresses that everyone has the ability to help others, whether it is a small deed like leading a guiding hand to someone who needs it, or it can be as intense as pulling someone out of a burning car. The writer attempts to emphasize the importance of doing the right thing by stating,  “Few people do evil and fewer act heroically.” (Zimbardo). In addition, heroes act not for the fame or the money, but for their own satisfaction. Knowing they helped save a life is all the reward they could ever want. “The key to heroism is a concern for other people

“It’s not easy to be a hero. You do it because of what you believe, not because of what other people deserve.” Anyone can face a challenge or a hardship. But what makes a true hero is how the person takes on the challenge. Often, heroes show feats of ingenuity and acts of bravery. Two heroes that acted during the American Civil Rights Movement, were Martin Luther King Jr, and Rosa Parks. A hero is a person who has demonstrated behaviors to ethically receive our appreciation and respect. A hero is an ordinary person who finds the strength within themselves to persevere and undergo hardships and calamity.

~ In the article “What is a Hero”  paragraph 4-5 the author states that a what makes a hero is “A heroic act is one performed with recognition of possible risk and cost, be they  to one's physical health or personal reputation, in which the actor is willing to accept anticipated sacrifice. The key to heroism is a concern for other people I need your concern to the find a moral cost knowing there is a personal risk done without expectation of reward.” Basically a hero is someone who helps others not because he is asked or he will receive  a reward but someone who does it to be kind.

Heroes are selfless and put others before themselves in dangerous situations. Such as on 9/11, when a call was given out for boats to come rescue people off the island of Manhattan, where the terror attacks happened, as pictured in “Boatlift” Vincent Ardillo after hearing the news told his wife, “I gotta do something.” This represents heroism because Ardillo is not thinking of how he will be impacted, but rather of the people who need help, as many other people with access to a boat did as well. Also, Ardillo could have stayed home and been safe, but chose to sacrifice his well being and comfort for others. Another hero would be Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross, as Barton declared in a Civil War speech “I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them.” Barton distinguishes she could be hurt while helping the soldiers, however she does not dwell on the fact, deciding instead to carry on and make a difference despite the threat to health. This is heroic because Barton is putting others who cannot care for themselves and acknowledges she could be hurt, but does not let that get in the way of her reaching her goals. To sum up, heroes are everyday people who go out of their way to help others in need without the thought of payment.

When one thinks of heroes, names such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Mother Theresa often come to mind. These people had done a lot of favors, courage, helps, and more of things for the people who needed them. The true definition of hero is a man of distinguished valor. Bravery, courage, intrepidity, boldness, daring, and prowess in war are a hero’s characteristics. However a hero is understood to be different to everyone. Upon closer examination, many different qualities than these become apparent. The definition of heroism changes with the context and time. Heroes of the past are not necessarily heroes of present time and vise versa. A person can be a hero for saving the life of one or of millions.

Heroes have achieved many feats that support the belief of a greater good and expressing valor and selflessness through the ages. There are fictional or real life accounts that have recognized these men and women for their vigor and marked them as heroes due to their events of success and motives of committing the heroic deeds. Yet there are copious amounts of people who have sacrifice themselves for a greater good but they have been lost through time even if their actions were prosperous or doomed in the end with a valiant purpose. They are unsung heroes who committed the actions based on their inner fire of what is right or honorable or rather than the fame they hope to achieve from those acts. The world or a populous may not know of their actions, but the actions and beliefs of an individual or group can entitle them of being hero-like without the necessity of recognition and success. They have lost their lives or a part of themselves to a cause based on righteousness rather than self-gain. They presented selfless heroism rather than the the intention to receive praise from the victories. Sacrifice contributes more to Heroism because the individual invested his or her own determination, valor and accepting the opportunity to risk their self-health (physical or psychological) based on great intentions rather than reaping the accolades of committing good deeds.

Throughout history, there have been many heroic people who have impacted the world in many ways, whether it is something comparable to saving people’s lives, or being an influence to somebody and their future. Jackie Robinson was the first African-American Major League Baseball player, he has been a major part of history, and has changed our society greatly. Miep Gies was a heroine to many people during the holocaust, she saved many lives and didn’t question what the consequences of her actions would be. Harriet Tubman lead many slaves to freedom, risking her own. Although Jackie Robinson, Miep Gies, and Harriet Tubman had many different experiences, when the time came, they all acted very heroically.

Heroism: Why Heroes are Important is a short essay by Scott LaBarge. In the essay, LaBarge is the narrator and tells a story his choice of becoming a philosopher. Inspiration came from one of his hero’s, Henry David Thoreau. Through pathos, logos, and ethos; LaBarge reveals what message society should learn. He not only informs the reader, but persuades them to think deeply and research who a hero is by using historical background information, an intended original audience, and emotional appeals to create an effective argument.

Heroes care not only for themselves, but for others. In the White House Funeral Sermon for Abraham Lincoln, “...not for himself only, not for us only, but for all people in all their coming generations till time shall be no more…” This means that President Lincoln took risks not to ensure his safety but to make sure that he would be known as a doer. Lincoln knew that what he was doing would revolutionize the way not only the way his generation would live but all future ones. This showed that he cared not only for himself but for people he would never get the pleasure of meeting. Back in World War II a true hero was born. One of the bloodiest battles of WWII, Hacksaw Ridge, was lucky to have Desmond Doss as a part of their medical team. He saved 75 people. Most in which others had left behind, for they thought that they weren’t saving. He cared about every single one making it back to base to be helped despite who was after him. Or even in the 9/11 boatlift many heroes stepped up to the plate. Vincent Ardolino, Captain of the Amberjack V,

“So there you go--heroes are everyday, common people most of what they do goes unheralded, unappreciated. And that, ironically, is heroism: not to be recognized” If someone can go out of their way to help someone in need, not just for s reward, that person is a hero. A hero can sacrifice something for themselves to help others in need. A hero can fix problems, but they do not need super strength or the ability to fly, they can be a normal person. A hero is someone who keeps fighting for what’s right, any ordinary person can be a hero, heroism is not being selfish, it’s being selfless.

What is heroism? Is it a knight in shining armor? A man that has a tragic past and has now stumbled upon powers? Or perhaps the guy who was able to save the whole earth from total destruction? As Arthur Ashe once said, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” Heroism is always being willing to help others and disregarding their safety for the safety of others, but heroes are not always the main guy who does gigantic actions.

Although we may not see hero’s such as Beowulf, or Batman in our society today, we have people that show their courage almost as well as well as these hero’s depicted. Beowulf showed tremendous courage becoming famous and popular among the Geats by slaying the demons that awaited them in the depths of the night. Batman also showed his courage and strength by helping to defend his city while trying to keep himself completely anonymous. Although the two hero’s responses to situations can be contrasted, their example of stepping up and being a leader both come together equally. Knowing this information about our hero’s, what is a hero’s importance in society? Without these important hero’s, the people that they protect wouldn’t stand a chance against what lurks in the shadows, and their examples proved that the horrible can be defeated.

The quality of heroism can be shown in the everyday life and people. George Bernard Shaw a playwright and a public figure said,“Every reasonable man (and woman) is a potential scoundrel and a potential good citizen. What a man is depends upon his character; what a man does, and what we think of what he does, depends upon his circumstances” (Shaw). When you see your peers they might not look special or have superpowers that can save the whole galaxy from an evil demon. Although they can still show heroism that you might not see or notice. In addition to heroism being in most people it can also be faint. Arthur Ashe who was a inspiration to many from being the first black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team states,“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost” (Ashe). This quote displays that heroism can be a subtle act that doesn't have to expressed greatly but puts others before yourself. This also shows that heroism does not have to be publicly announced. This quality