An Essay on Heroism

What makes a hero? Are the heroic acts of a person enough to label them as a hero? Are the actions of an individual categorized in a qualitative value system or quantitative one, or both? Is the topic subjective to an individual's definition of the word, or is there a universal guideline for aspiring heroes? If you ever recall memories from your early childhood, you will recall that you were given an assignment: list or discuss the heroes in your life. Well something along those lines at least, the point is that from very early on you were building the concept of a hero in your head. The environment shapes the way you see a hero. Ranging from historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Marcus Aurelius to fictional characters like Huckleberry Finn and Spider-man, heroes have been in our lives in some shape, way, or form. Are these people, real or otherwise, not heroes? To answer that, we need a definitive answer to what makes a hero.

According to the modern definition of a hero: a hero is someone who displays courage and is revered for his/her noble qualities (or achievements). In the epoch when folklore ran rampant, a hero was someone with superhuman qualities and a semi-divine origin. It is my opinion that the proper definition of a hero is a synthesis of these two definitions. In a way, a hero is someone whom we revere as a superhuman who displays courage that is almost divine-like. We look up to individuals who are capable of taking all of life's punches to the face all while still getting up to fight back. Their vigor and spirit motivate us. They are the epitome of what it means to be a role model. These types of people give us hope when there isn't any. They are the ones smiling when everyone else isn't. Heroes are the best of humanity. They are the fathers that inspire and the mothers that protect. In short, they are the symbol of good.

Now that we have an idea of what a hero is, let's discuss what a hero is not. Titles are meaningless, ranks should be ignored, and positions are redundant. If you look at these superficial things to find a hero, you won't have much luck. It doesn't matter if you are a cop, in the army, a firefighter, or the leader of an environmental movement. Occupying the title of something honorable does not make you honorable within. You can still hold one of the aforementioned titles, but if you don't have the heart of a hero you will never be a hero. No matter how much money you have or how much power you yield. Let me make one thing clear, I am not insinuating that anyone in the job positions I listed are bad people. I am simply stating that the positions they hold aren't what makes them heroes, it's the size of their hearts that does. A hero is born and created, not from the womb of a mother, but from the thin and narrow path of order that a hero takes to combat the world's chaos. He or she carries the symbolic and literal pain of existing on the Earth, but they do so virtuously unlike anyone else.

Closing my essay on heroism, the heroic path is a journey that is not for the faint of heart. It is difficult and seems impossible at a glance. It's why the humans who manage to walk along this path seem to possess God-like abilities and discipline, unlike anything the average person encounters. But in the end, they are, after all, human, just like you and me. Here is something that I want everyone to be aware of: not everyone does a good thing just for the sake of being a good person. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe put it perfectly when he said, "You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him."