What makes someone a hero?

[red5angel]

We have had similar subjects go through here but the answer are never straight forward. What makes a person a heroe? Some of us may have been involved in situations where we may look like heroes but it never feels that way.

[MightyB]

I don't think any one incident makes a person a hero.

If a person lives a life of optimism, respect, and integrity that inspires others to follow in their footsteps, then they are a hero.

[Golden Arms]

Hmm...IMHO a hero is someone who performs a selfless act, or at least does something that benefits others but may risk something in the process. Or, a hero could be a person that earns the respect of others by their actions, regardless of what they are....In fact all of it is really just a matter of perception, because what may cause one person to view someone as a hero could cause another person to loathe the individual....so perception is key ...

-Golden Arms-

[Kuen]

Hero=The guys who fought back against the hi-jackers on 9/11, NYC Fire Dept., etc.

Not heros=pro atheletes, movie stars, etc.

This is too many dynamics. There is probably not enough space on this forum to list all that qualifies a hero.
But in a nutshell a hero is someone who live with honorable intentions and lives righteously!

[Ray Pina]

I believe pro athletes, actors, ect, can also be hereos if they show they had a dream and followed their convictions. Not many poeple make it to the Big Leagues or Silver SCreen. Do you think they were lucky, or had faith in themselves to work hard to rise above where the others failed or gave up?

[Ryu]

The word has been thrown around a lot (something I don't like because heroism is so important to me) Inspiring others, being beneficial, and helping others are all heroic acts, but it is not heroism. Real "heros" are those that sacrifice an ultimate in order to protect (help) someone else. The hero holds another individual's safety and well being above his own. That's the real definition throughout history, literature, etc.

Ryu

[DelicateSound]

hero /noun

1 Person admired for courage, outstanding achievements, etc. Adverb: heroically.


There you go. Carlos Santana counts then. As do Dave Gilmour and Jimi Hendrix. :D

[rubthebuddha]

MLK Jr, Mother Theresa -- people who gave their lives to unselfish, benevolent causes. sure, using these names is cliché, but that's because people like these ARE heros.

michael jordan? just a good basketball player. anyone with a $100 million contract to wear a pair of shoes is automatically disqualified from the hero label. we'll rethink that when big brothers/big sisters gets a $50 million donation.

basically, i'd say heroism requires some sort of hardship -- both environmental and internal. in MLK's case, the environmental is obvious to anyone who's spent time in alabama. the internal is obvious to anyone who has had something so important in their lives drive them, then find that the whole world is pushing them back, and that person gives all of him or herself to push forward again to turn that tide back into something positive. the sacrifice a person makes can either bring them down or give them strength. a true hero can take that strength and use it well.

[Kuen]

Please see Ryu's answer that pretty much sums up my thoughts on the subject.


michael jordan? just a good basketball player. anyone with a $100 million contract to wear a pair of shoes is automatically disqualified from the hero label. we'll rethink that when big brothers/big sisters gets a $50 million donation.

**** skippy!

[Ryu]

:rolleyes:

I'd go with what history and literature say.

Ryu

[Ray Pina]

OK. One of my heroes is Jack Kerouac. I want to be a writer and found much inspiration from this man.

He was a great athlete and got a full ride to Columbia, but soemhow he didn;t fit in. He spent all his time at the library reading classics, skipping class and quit football. Fast foreward 10 or 15 years and he gave up society to wonder around the country, writing On The Road, Dharma Bumbs, Tristessa and many more. He inspired the Beat Generation, the 60's movemnts one can even say Rock and Roll.

Now, what he did, didd society and become a wondering poet is not heroic, unless you look at the courage it takes. How many people don;t have the courage to purseue their own dreams?

I for one knew I wanted to be a writer in the 3rd grade after reading The Old Man and the Sea. Good book, not brian surgery: Old man doesn't catch an fish, one day catches a big fish, it drags him out to sea and then sharks eat it -- he comes home with no fish but a great adventure. Cool. But even at 3 I had adventures up to this, maybe even better -- we all have.\
Kerouac showed me its OK to be different, march to your own beat, pursue your own intrest.

Against family wishes I dropped business pursuits in college (being the first male Cuban in my family to go to college had some pressure) to follow literary dreams. Well, now I'm writing at hearst, a great publishing company but I'm at a small publication, and half way through a novel I'm working on: 200 pages single spaced.

Kerouac is my hero, because he gave evrything up to pursue an unkown, wanted to see what was out there. He died before he could experince his true fame and wealth, but I believe he died a wealthy man, seeing dreams come true if you pursue them with conviction.

He didn't run into a burning building, shoot an enemy, he conqured himself and the pressures of society. To me, that is bravery. I believe most will react bravely when in a situation where others need help, but to think long term about your life, and a nice safe, cushiony option, and pursue an unknown, that is couragoues.

At least 99.99999999% of the TRUE HEROES go unrecognized.

These are the every day people like US that live productively in society and make things a little better for the planet simply by being around.

[DelicateSound]

Jordan at least worked to get where he is. Some people can't be arsed to put on clean pants in the morning. Mainly trailer trash though. Go figure.

[rubthebuddha]

screw the dictionary. aside from interpretations on admiration (hitler, napolean and stalin were all admired by their own), the following people fall under that definition:

-deion sanders (arrogant athlete)
-macauley culkin (worthless former child star)
-ty cobb (racist ballplayer)
-babe ruth (unfaithful, wife-beating, womanizing, corrupt, alcoholic former home run king)
-jerry falwell (racist, ****phobic, sexist, anti-semitic embracer, representative and figurehead for a so-called loving, forgiving and all-accepting church)

need i continue? the list can go on forever. i'd not rip on these people except they continue (or did until their deaths) their non-heroic behavior long after their admirable deeds were done. had they changed their tune, they wouldn't be listed. some of them simply haven't done anything worthy of any attention. so deion can run fast? whoopdie sh!t. he's not a hero because he has quick feet. and falwell? the guy stirs more hate in one day than david duke could in a lifetime.

[Budokan]

Being in the right place at the right time. That's all.

That's why heros are not all square-jawed muscle men. They're everybody of all shapes and sizes who, for that one crucial moment in time, did the right thing at the right time.

[Chang Style Novice]

What makes someone A hero? Too easy; the respect, gratitude, and admiration of others makes someone a hero.

"What makes someone your hero?" Is a much better question. In my case, a combination of qualities, including but not limited to;

Creative thought
Non-violent philosophy
Innovative techniques and methods
Discipline
Open-mindedness
Compassion
Generosity
Wisdom
Willingness to sacrifice, when it is neccesary
Logical thought processes
Willingness to risk one's own well being to improve the lot of others
Sense of justice
Refusal to 'go with the flow' when the flow is going nowhere good
Patience
Liberal ethics
Loyalty
Commitment

In short, when someone can live up to the standards that I aspire to, that person is my hero.

[Ray Pina]

No one is pefect. Jesus hung with *****s.

A hereo to me, is finding a quality that is above and beyond the average person, something that could be looked up to and learned from. While I find firefighters courageous, I don't necessarily consider them heroes for doing their job. In fact, sometimes I would consider them foolish, because you do no one any good rushing head strong into a situation which will put others in danger to rectify.

Here's one that will **** some off: If you lost family members in Iraq or Libiya due to American bombing, were perhaps palistinian, and lost property and rights to Isreali occupation, would you consider Al Queda martys, people who dies for your cause, heroes.

My point? Its all perspective, the theory of relativity.

[Budokan]

"No one is pefect. Jesus hung with wh*res. " --EvolutionFist

Wow, in my younger days I was just like Jesus. Go Christ!

[Ray Pina]

Why is Wh0re edited?

ps: I don't believe one should look to hereos on how to live their life, but for inspiration on what made them your hereo.

Example: don't treat your wife the way the Bade treated his; but maybe learn to swing like he did.

[ShaolinTiger00]

Evolution Fist,
this is for you

http://europe.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/americas/01/13/cuba.obit.fuentes.ap/


Cuba Libre!
:p

[Ryu]

A "hero" is a literal thing from history. It's not necessarily relative. The meanings that people put on the word may be relative, but the actual "hero" as a literal thing is not. All cultures and countries have had them, and they follow the same definition that I gave before. That's why I don't think it should be thrown around. BUT aspects like compassion, wisdom, helping, loving, inspiring people to be their best, etc. These are all QUALITIES of the "traditional hero" therefore they are indeed heroic. I won't argue with that. Yes, many people can show heroic qualities.
My point is that they are not a "hero" unless they fit the real definition throughout history. It's kind of like saying someone is a "samurai" because he has some of their qualities (good with a sword, studies bushido, etc)
The two are NOT the same. :) Hope you can see where I'm coming from.
The word has been minced a little throughout history. It was almost like a title...

But that's not to say the things you're talking about are not heroic. They most indeed are.

My favorite line of all times is from the Simpsons.

Homer: Come on Lisa! Little Timmy is a hero!
Lisa: Why is he a hero?
Homer: .....well......uh he fell in a well, and can't get out.
Lisa: How does that make him a hero?
Homer:............................well it's more than you did!

LOL

Ryu

[Ray Pina]

The man of science in me agrees with you. The poet doesn't.

ShaolinTiger, thanks. I just saw that guy on channel 13 (PBS) not to long ago.

[joedoe]

The men and women who freely gave up their Christmas celebrations to save other people's homes from the recent bushfires in Australia.

[SanHeChuan]

i haven't read the thread yet, but

A hero does what he believes is right despite the consequences

i relize that there are holes in that def. but thats what i imagine a hero to be.

[fmann]

A true hero doesn't do anything heroic -- he just does what he does. A person that goes forth seeking to commit acts of heroism and be remembered is not a true hero, regardless of what he does or does not do. He may be a hero to some, but not a "true hero."

A firefighter pulls a woman out of a blazing building, only to rush back in to save the woman's cat. The building collapses seconds after he rushes out with the cat in his arms. Firefighter suffers from smoke inhalation and some minor burns. When asked why he went back for the cat, he replies, "I'm just doing what I do." And he goes out and does it again and again, always putting his life on the line. To others, he's a hero, to him, it's just a job. "I'm sure everybody else would do the same, " he says.

But the truth is that I'm not sure everyone would risk their lives for another person, much less a cat.

That in my mind is a true hero.