Single Act Heroism

“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 a letter Lincoln wrote to Bixby, he wrote, “I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. In this letter Lincoln wrote to Bixby, he gives a sympathetic apology for what happened to Bixby’s sons.” Lincoln cared enough to write this letter, which is very heroic because he was very selfless since he was thinking about her conditions and wellness instead of his own. In the poem, “O Captain My Captain,” it says, “O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done; The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won; ... But O heart! heart! Heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.” In other words, Lincoln brought freedom for slaves to the United States, but dies because of the hateful people who disagree with him, and since he decided to sacrifice his own life and stand up for what he believed was right, he has the heart of a hero. Frederick Douglass is another amazing person who had the traits of a hero. In the autobiography, Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, it states, “The truth was, I felt myself a slave, and the idea of speaking to white people weighed me down. I spoke but a few moments, when I felt a degree of freedom, and said what I desired with considerable ease.” This shows that Douglass spoke to people even when he felt inferior to white people, and by talking about his past, he also put himself in danger of getting caught and sent back to slavery. This bravery shows that he was not afraid to speak his mind and educate others, even if it could cost him his own freedom. Both Lincoln and Douglass were not afraid to stand up and fight for what is

As Joseph Campbell once said, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life for something bigger than oneself”. Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, and the passengers of Flight 93 all stood up for a cause and proved how they deserved to be called heroes. They put themselves in situations where their life wasn’t guaranteed protected to ensure the safety of others. Heroes are not always the ones wearing capes flying through the air, but sometimes the ones who are admirable, intelligent, and altruistic enough to make a change in the world.

Anyone who influences anyone else by saving or helping save his or her lives can be a hero. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the lives of millions of people by bringing justice to minorities. Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest heroes, led a nonviolent revolution to free his country. Even a parent can be a hero to his or her child by leading them in the right direction. All teachers are heroes when they make it their job to teach a child anything that will help them in life. You don’t have to go to great lengths by risking your life to make a difference in someone else’s life.

To be a hero can can be defined in many ways. Heros are usually associated with courage, fearlessness, noble qualities, outstanding achievements, and a kind heart. These traits are what make up an ideal contributor to society helping those in need. The word hero can have a different meaning for cultures and religions. Osama Bin Laden may be considered a hero to the radical islams but he is a horrible human being to the rest of the world. It all depends on the views of the people.

Every individual has a different perspective on what makes a person a hero, for it is not limited to a certain concept; determination, altruism and a hint of hardship and bravery can always birth a hero. Although many acts of heroism are seen and made everyday, the levels of these attributes vary. Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman are both philanthropic, noble individuals that willingly spent their lives as abolitionists of slavery, and both are great examples of the highest levels of selflessness and heroism.

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.

A hero to me is somebody that helps people out when they are in trouble. A hero is somebody who gives people strength to go on from life’s difficulties. A hero is also Somebody who saves people's lives when they hit rock bottom. A hero is somebody who will put food on the table, somebody who works hard to pay bills make everybody happy. I also think a hero can be someone who gave up his or her life so another could live. Somebody that helps their kids to become a better person and to make them happy and laugh. I also think a hero is somebody that buys stuff like coats, food, scarfs, etc. for somebody that is homeless. Coretta Scott king was one of the best American heroes of this or any time because of

As people in society, we are constantly categorizing people as heroes. But what really makes a person a hero? Do they have to rescue a damsel in distress? Do they have to have superhuman strength? No. Well not to mean at least. To me a hero is someone who makes a difference in a person's life. Someone who changed the lives of others for the better. In the book A Lesson Before Dying, a story about a wrongfully accused black man seeking redemption, Tante Lou, Grant Wiggins aunt, can be deemed as a hero or more of an unsung hero because if it were not for her, Grant would have never gone up to see Jefferson, Grant would have never been changed, and then Jefferson would have never been changed as well.

The definition of a hero is not a simple dictionary definition. Heroism is a complex idea, but many people in history have been regarded as heroes. These great figures were honored by all, it is they who embody heroism. They made a large change for the better in our society. While this change is what made them stand out, all you need to be is one who helps and trusts others even if you have to sacrifice something for them.

What is a hero? You may think a hero is someone who saves the world like Superman or Batman, but a hero is a lot more then that. People like Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. are the real heroes, that we should look up to, not the superheroes that we see on movies. They're the ones who made the world a better place to live on.

In the world, there are people who are considered to be heroes. They do not have to have supernatural abilities to be considered a hero. A hero could be an ordinary person who makes courageous acts. Martin Luther King, Chiune Sugihara, and Miep Gies all have one thing in common; they put others first before themselves. Dr. King wanted segregation and racism to be gone, so he had peaceful protests.

There are people that exceed the definition of a hero every day. For example, the three people that exceed the definition a hero are Martha Copeland, Carol Groen, and Walter Peyton. Two of these people are your average people that just love helping people in need and one is a well-known football player that got his own award for helping people. The first person that exceeded the definition was Martha Copeland. Martha exceeded this definition by uprooting her family to go to Indonesia to teach and build to help them learn and live safely. Martha did not do this because she wanted to be famous; she did this because she cares. She helped the people out of the kindness in her heart and she never bragged to anyone about what she has accomplished.

Another idea of a hero was when Gandhi had stood up for his country; India. “Gandhi led nationwide campaigns to ease poverty, expand women's rights, and build religious and ethnic amity” plus he had “spent a number of years in jail in both South Africa and India”. In other words Gandhi never gave up showing everyone how India should be independent. Gandhi had stood out his way by leading marches to declare independence. Gandhi had been admired for his bravery (when he was thrown in jail a few times), his confidence (he never showed any sign of weakness) and perseverance (he had never gave up).