A hero is an individual who is admired by another person, and who affects society in some way. Individuals use heroes to model their aspirations, and reflect their hero’s behavior in their actions and decisions. These heroes not only bring safety to society, but also wisdom and knowledge to improve people as individuals. Societal function is greatly influenced by the presence of heroes, as heroes provide inspiration and spark ambitions in society, empowering others to change the world.
Heroes act as symbols for desirable qualities individuals wish to possess and the ambitions which they want to become realities. In his article for the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Scott LaBarge explains how “We largely define our ideals by the heroes we choose, and our ideals . . . largely define us” (LaBarge). Choosing a hero means choosing a set of qualities and traits one envisions themselves having. The ideals created by individuals follow the guidelines of their heroes’ qualities, and serve as underlying inspiration to increase the similarities between the individuals and their heroes.
Odysseus, the main character in Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, steps up in the midst of chaos and uses his heroic instincts to motivate his crew: “There is no greater danger than when the Cyclops imprisoned us . . . we escaped from that place . . . [now] row away like men” (Homer 142). By displaying his strong and courageous qualities, Odysseus inspires his crew to follow his lead, even in the face of death. His crew recognizes him as a hero and as an idealistic human being who they should become more akin to.
Heroes such as Odysseus are responsible for determining the way in which an individual chooses to behave based on the actions and qualities of their role models. Furthermore, when individuals long to possess the qualities of a hero, they set goals based on those specific qualities. As crucial parts of how society functions as a whole, heroes help define the limits of our aspirations. La Barge examines how humans are affected by their personal role models: “A person who chooses Martin Luther King or Susan B.
Anthony as a hero is going to have a very different sense of what human excellence involves than someone who chooses, say, Paris Hilton, or the rapper 50 Cent” (LaBarge). The ideals one aspires to determine the way that individual behaves. The inspiration provided by these heroes can influence the behavior of individuals in positive yet also negative ways, demonstrating how much a hero can affect a person. Clearly, heroes can affect the actions of others based on their own actions, which is why “Society needs . . . eople with values that will serve as a model for a lifetime of actions” (Hero Project). Heroes’ values act as guidelines for individuals, as individuals attempt to follow the same paths as their heroes. The behaviors of people caused by the ideals of their heroes constantly affects society, with more and more people trying to be a hero. However, because no one is perfect by nature, even heroes make occasional mistakes that can cause individuals to question whether following in the actions of their heroes is truly heroic.
The general human race and society are cynical because individuals’ ideals are so often betrayed by the very people they are following. Odysseus explains how he will not spare any person in his punishment of death after a large group of suitors had occupied his house for many years: “Now upon you all the terms of destruction are fastened” (Homer 210). Odysseus mercilessly kills many humans in anger over what they had done, giving them no chance of living.
Growing up, the majority of humans are taught to act in the opposite manner of Odysseus in his outrage, causing individuals to question the very ideals to which they were aspiring. Pointing out how some of the most well renowned heroes had critical flaws, La Barge leads readers to realize how similar they really are to their heroes: “Washington and Jefferson held slaves, Martin Luther King is accused of philandering and plagiarizing, just about everybody had sex with someone they shouldn’t, and so on” (LaBarge).
Even the most morally advantageous people in history did things which go against the ideals of a perfect hero, illustrating how similar any individual can truly be to their heroes. To fully understand how these individuals are still considered to be great heroes, one must accept the reality that human nature is truly limited, and use this logic in their actions. Additionally, almost all heroes’ most important actions outweigh those considered by some to be bad, or unheroic.
Though there are many unnoticed heroes who do good things for society, many widely known heroes’ actions actually save lives and sometimes entire communities. Without personal gain, Nelson Mandela, a social activist and revolutionary, put his life in jeopardy to help a cause, by “[leading] a movement to unify a divided nation and reconcile decades of pain and racism” (MoralHeroes. org). Mandela’s heroic actions throughout his life saved thousands of South African lives, and forever changed the society by bringing peace to the country.
One hero’s actions brought safety to many, and those people’s’ primal instinct to survive made him a necessity to them. Martin Luther King, Jr. , a leader in the African-American civil rights movement, saved people of his race from constant physical and emotional abuse: “Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the few people in history who have so profoundly changed the world in such a short time. His visions and actions for social unity, racial brotherhood, true peace and social welfare were not only carefully thought and weighed, but also acted upon with strategic finesse” (MoralHeroes. rg). King forever changed America’s culture for the better by leading the fight to end discrimination against African Americans, allowing them to be an equal entity to mankind. Without these select few heroes spread throughout the world, society would be in chaos, as these heroes provide safety to individuals, earning themselves the admiration of others. Apart from providing safety to mankind, these heroes have moral contributions which affect how others act and influence society themselves.
Possibly the most important moral contribution of heroes is how they empower individuals to expand their sense of possibility. LaBarge analyzes how as human beings,“If we most of us . . live lives of quiet desperation, it is because our horizons of possibility are too cramped” (LaBarge). Heroes help broaden our points of view on what is possible for us to do and how we as individuals can change the world. When one expands their sense of what they can do in this world, they open up to new things that have nearly unlimited possibilities to change the world for the better.
Antigone, the main character in Sophocles’ Antigone, defies the predetermined rules of society around her “Will you help these hands take up Polyneices’ corpse and bury it? What? You’re going to bury Polyneices, when that’s been made a crime for all in Thebes? ” (Sophocles). Antigone’s defiance is caused by her realization of how her actions can affect others in the way she wants, which is consequently caused by the opening of her mind to believe more in what she has the capability to do.
Antigone serves as an example as to how empowering one can become if they broaden their possibilities and accept that their actions can be influential. Heroes provide more than just inspiration, as they provide a broader spectrum of thinking, leading to more and more people changing the world. Furthermore, heroes in their morality also provide wisdom to society, which affects the way individuals think and act, shaping a more wise society, and spawning a variety of positive effects.
By sharing their wisdom with the world, heroes, while improving the intelligence of the general population and increasing their knowledge about the world around them, also teach individuals lessons about the trajectory of their own lives. In a Psychology Today article, it is explained how heroes help individuals develop their mind: “Heroes show us the secrets to unlocking our fullest potential as human beings. They do so by role-modeling virtue, by clarifying . . paradoxical truths, by equipping us with emotional intelligence, and by revealing how their journey can be our journey, too” (Psychologytoday. om). Insightful knowledge can be gained by listening to one’s hero, and can assist that individual in making logical and beneficial decisions in life. These decisions can carry with them the effectual possibility to change the world, and allow individuals to become heroes, much like their role models before them. Sam McLeod, in an article on the Stanford Prison Experiment, states that “People will readily conform to the social roles they are expected to play, especially if the roles are as strongly stereotyped as those of the prison guards” (Sam McLeod).
When Philip Zimbardo, a psychologist and professor at Stanford University, interviewed the participants in the experiment following its conclusion, the individuals who were abusive as prison guards said that they did not know that that side of them existed. In the absence of a hero, specifically one who could provide wisdom, the participants in the Stanford Prison Experiment did not control their actions or think about their behavior. With heroes in the world, individuals have people to gain wisdom from, and model their actions on, preventing them from acting uncontrollably and even harming others.
Moreover, heroes open up pathways in many forms for individuals, and empower them to make decisions that can change the world. Countless individuals have personal heroes, and shape their actions and aspirations around them. The wisdom and knowledge brought by these heroes improve society and benefit the world in the long run. When individuals know the limits of what they are capable of, but also have a wide sense of possibility, they can make decisions that have an influence on the world.
Because a select few individuals save entire communities from harm, they are marked as heroes, and consequently inspire others to follow their path and behave like them. Mankind, without heroes, would lack inspiration, thus lacking the key to evolution, making the world an uncivilized place lacking critical logistical and moral concepts. Without heroes, mankind would be unable to function as a whole in the absence of key elements brought to society through individuals from these heroes.
