I always loved the idea of a Superhero. When I was younger, my brothers and I would run around outside pretending to be superman saving the world. The thought of having super speed and being able to fly always came across as appealing. But during that time my definition of Hero would probably go something like this "A man or woman that can fly and save the world from evil". As I grew up my opinion on what made someone a hero would change.
Back when I was smaller and still thought I couldn't be a hero unless I wore a cape, I was asked by my dad what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told him I wanted to be just like super man and he asked why. I stood up and said "I want to be able to help people". He told me that I can help people by being a firefighter or police officer and that becoming a doctor is a little easier than getting heat vision. Back then I ignored what he said but as I got older I realized that there wasn't anybody in a cape stopping meteors. And the people that everyone really appreciates are the ones that help with everyday things.
I learned that a hero can be portrayed in more ways that what we are shown in movies and comics. Being a hero doesn't mean that you have to accomplish the impossible everyday, it could mean that you do anything at all. My description of a hero then became "Anybody who can and is willing to help others". It doesn't take powers or money to assist others, all it takes is that bit of humanity.
I think that is a good assessment, that heroism requires a certain degree of selflessness. When people say things like "my mom is my hero" or "my grandfather is my hero," I don't take it to mean that they are their hero because of some incredible act (although it is possible that they did do an incredible act). I assume that person is heroic because they have sacrificed for their loved one. Maybe a desire for recognition of this sacrifice constitutes a more selfish side of love.
ReplyDeleteThat is a really good definition of the word hero! I think there is a huge difference between a superhero and a hero, and I think you are right with the idea that a "hero" has more to do with the morality of the person than their super strength or speed.
ReplyDeleteI think your definition here pretty much represents the media's definitions of a hero as well. We often get stories of people who are called heroes because they went out of their way to help others and as such did something out of the ordinary and became a hero. Most people that are called heroes don't really do something that only they could do, rather they choose to do whatever that action is and because they had that conviction that they could help, they become a hero.
ReplyDeleteI think another interesting distinction between heroes in real life and those in literature/media is the huge difference in familiarity. We are able to truly see into the psyche of these heroes to the point of analysis, whereas we often label a real person as a hero for an individual action. I guess I find the former more interesting, where we really get to delve into their motives and flaws, whereas in the latter there may not even be much passion or forethought to their choice.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I have felt like there's a huge distinction between everyday heroes and superheroes. Heroic traits vary from heroes we idealize daily, to those we idealize on the big screen. I far prefer everyday heroic traits personally, but many enjoy the larger than life aspect of superheroes. It's a personal thing,
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