The Pros And Cons Of Heroism

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

Are there heroes in today’s society? No one thinks of themselves as a hero, but it does not take any special skills to be a hero because anyone can be a hero. The characteristics of a hero only show up when there is a time of need such as a major catastrophe or minor incidents that happen on a daily basis. During the twenty-first century there have been quite a few major catastrophes. The major catastrophes include the 9/11 attacks, two major hurricanes (Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy), and the Boston marathon bombing. There are also several different major and minor characteristics that a hero will show in times of need. For instance some major characteristics of a hero are perseverance/determination, bravery/courage, dedication/endurance, and selflessness/sacrifice. Some minor characteristics include humility, fearlessness, skill, strength, integrity, and intrepidity (Wanamaker, 2013). In the twenty-first century the 9/11 attacks is the first major catastrophe. During this major disaster there were quite a few individuals who helped to rescue people. There were heroes in each of the three crash sites that occurred on that very eventful day.

Everyone has their own idea of what a hero is and what a hero does. Most people think that guys like superman and batman are heroes because they have incredible superpowers and they are famous people who receive glory. Many people describe heroes as strong and indestructible people, however, heroes are actually not always famous and they are not always the way that society portrays them. In fact, most heroes are ordinary people who do extraordinary things and have notable traits for society to follow. Although heroes are mostly overlooked or misinterpreted by many people, a hero is always a courageous, selfless, and persistent person who has the determination to create change for the better.

Heroes are so much more than people that fly around in capes and fight off villains, heroes can be everyday people that just want to help. Take the movie Hacksaw Ridge for example. In the movie there is a character named Desmond T. Doss, Desmond decides to join the army during WWII as an Army Medic but not only does he want to join the army but he refuses to carry a gun do to his religious beliefs. At first the Army would not let him join unless he used a gun because they all thought he was crazy and did not know how he was going to survive.

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.

Being a hero is something everyone is capable of with bravery and intelligence. You don’t have to be a Greek God to be a hero, you can be a simple, average person living in a regular town. Heroism is not your social status and ruling the land, it is the qualities you possess and how you use them. Both the short story “The Hero’s Test” by Alisoun Witting and the short story “The Red-Headed League” by Arthur Conan Doyle shows heroism and how anyone can be a hero.

Have you ever been inspired by a hero because our technology today can make anybody a hero in an instant and can be applied today without much thought. We need to evaluate what it takes to be a hero and how they affect us. Heroes inspire us to improve our lives and make us a better person. Evidence suggests they determine the way we behave because we admire, adore, emulate them, place them in high regard and respect their accomplishments. Their qualities of courage, selflessness, humility, patience, caring, passion, integrity, honesty and confidence are all attributes that we all posses but it is whether we use them or not.

Heroism is dead. Many people in the world are still heroic, but society’s definition of what a hero should be has almost become twisted beyond repair. If heroism is going to be an admirable trait in the future, then people must change the way they perceive its definition. Rather than living an average life and accomplishing one great feat, heroism is instead taking every opportunity to positively impact people and the infinitely improvable world in which they live. Society continuously defines heroism by the minimalistic definition of someone who has done one great thing or someone whose job is to improve the world around them.

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.

Heroism functions in this world in very unique ways. There's simple and extreme acts of heroism. There's different types of heroes in this world-the scientist who finds cures for diseases, or the single mom who works all day to feed her children. Community's working together to help people after floods, like the time when New Orleans flooded and everyone helped them recover. They didn't have to help everyone else, but their selflessness and sacrifices helped others. For example, there's firemen who put out tremendous fires, policemen who stop robberies, or people who work for the military risking their life

In the end, looking back at people we consider to be 'heroes' in our world, we understand they cannot live up to impossible standards of perfection and satisfy everyone. But it is their true compassion for others at heart, and their positive influence in the world, despite the challenges facing them that makes one heroic.

Heroes are those who have gone above what the average person would do to ensure the welfare of others. Natural disasters, terrorism, poverty, and war are some of the many things that destroy and end people’s lives. Throughout history, many people have made a difference. However, as history progresses, what we consider to be socially normal changes along with our definition of a hero. In Ancient Greece, Theseus, Hercules, and Perseus were considered heroes, but today only Theseus and Perseus would be considered heroes because Hercules would be shunned by society.

Some of the best examples of heroes are generic people who happened to have chosen to become a police officer, of a doctor, or firefighter, or even a public activist. These ordinary citizens save lives just as much as the classic comic book characters we think of when we hear the word ‘hero.’ However, the reality is that anyone can be a hero by standing up for what they believe in; some of the most famous heroes in history were just average people advocating for their beliefs to create a better tomorrow. Some examples of such influential people include Martin Luther King, Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Mahatma Gandhi, and Harriet Tubman. In fact, someone could be a hero to someone else just by doing a small favor, such as donating, doing community service, or just helping someone because they needed help. Even by doing the smallest actions, it is easy to become someone’s

Heroes have many goals and many challenges, but whether they are successful or not is a whole different story. Always trying their best to achieve their certain goal and risking to help others is what heroes live for. For example, during the attacks of 9/11, boat drivers such as were rescuing people from the island of Manhattan in New York. There were thousands upon thousands of people, but with enough support, the boat drivers were able to rescue everybody. Vincent Ardolino, one of the boat drivers during the 9/11 boatlift, said in the documentary “Boatlift” that he tells his children to “never go through life saying you should have. If you want to do something, do it.” This mindset is what all heroes should adopt for the future. These people may not have the most difficult job in the world, but they carry out small challenges with a lot of passion. Likewise, were the heroes during Hurricane Harvey and Irma, two very devastating Hurricanes that have costed the USA many lives. Many people from outside of the area have done countless things to help like rescue people with their boats, donate money, and help rebuild. Many of these heroes have risked their lives and struggled on for the greater good.